"Old Val." Quercus chrysolepis, canyon live oak, or Valparaiso Oak on the Skyline extension south of Saratoga Gap road and near Black Road. 14.5 ft. circumference at 5 ft., 75 ft. tall, crown spread 110 ft. and 85 ft., 1939. "Saved" by the Highway Division with cultivation, 3-in. covering of manure and 1 1/2 inches of forest litter and top soil and 200 gal. water each week. E.S. Whitaker. [Other side of photo has this caption:] "When I 'found' it in 1936 the forces constructing this section had borrowed all the top soil and had built a stone wall around the trunk. The tree was practically dead. I had the ground surface broken open with picks, but not spaded, then imported a 3-in. covering of manure, covered that with 1 1/2 in. forest litter and top soil, watered the whole once each week, 200 gallons and sat back and prayed. That was 1936. This summer Old Val, the natives call it a Valparaiso oak, showed a return to life, and out work was evidently timely. In removing dead wood, we took a 22-ft. long dead top out. The tree now is about 75 ft. high, spreads 110 ft. and 85 ft., and is 14 1/2 ft. in circumference at 5 ft., but swells below and above that to much larger measurements. A strong tree, evidently quite old. I got an estimated 350-odd years with increment borer, but hit two rotten spots. The view over Santa Clara valley is worth the trip, but the tree betters anything of its species I've seen, including those in Hoopa Valley."
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Description
Location: average distance Identification: exact ground location unclear, appears unknowable No people present in picture
Type
image
Identifier
fritz_metcalf-3128
Subject
Quercus chrysolepis - Notable Trees - Injuries - Mechanical Roads - Construction Roads - Environmental aspects Quercus chrysolepis Santa Clara County
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