THE BEECH. 9 



fliade ; but when drawn up in clofe planta- 

 tions, it rifes to a great height with fingular 

 elegance and airinefs. Its leaves arc of a 

 pleafant green, and many of them remain 

 on the trees during winter, after turning 

 brown. No verdure, however, will thrive 

 beneath its (hade. The fmoothnefs of its 

 bark has from antient times tempted the 

 rural lover to carve the favourite name upon 

 it; a cuftom recorded in various paflnges of 

 the poets ; and the opening of Virgil's firft 

 Eclogue reprefents the mufing thcpherd 

 as reclining under the (hade of a fpreadtng 

 beech. 



*This is one of the glandiferous or mail- 

 bearing trees. Its nuts, when eaten raw, are 

 apt to occafion giddinefs and head-ache, 

 but, when thoroughly dried and powdered, 

 are laid to make wholefomc bread. They 

 are, however, chiefly the food of deer and 

 fwine, and of Iquirrels, dormice, and other 

 fmall quadrupeds, Which are numerous in 

 the beechen woods. An oil exprefTed from 

 them is ufed in fome countries in place of 

 butter. 



The 



