The Beeches and tlie Chestnuts 79 



The blue beech (Carpinus caroliniana) has a bark somewhat similar to that of 

 the true beech and for that reason is sometimes mistaken for this tree. They 

 are, however, readily distinguished by their winter buds, leaves, and fruit. 



The twigs of the beech are brown, smooth, lustrous, and set with shining, 

 brovvTi, pointed buds about 1 in. long. 



The leaves in outline are oblong and pointed, with the margin sharply saw- 

 toothed. The veining is conspicuous, the fine veins running straight from the 

 centre rib to the edge. The texture is exceedingly fine and the leaf is soft to the 

 touch. 



The fruit is a tiny, three-cornered, sharp-pointed nut, occuring in pairs 

 enclosed in a prickly bur or husk. When ripe this bur splits into four sections and 

 allows the nuts to drop out. 



The wood is used for flooring, furniture, vehicle stock, cooperage, handles, 

 wood distillation, and firewood, and is one of the cheapest hardwoods on the 

 market. It is difficult to season, perishable, and often cross-grained, but is hard, 

 strong, and tough. 



THE CHESTNUTS 



Four species of chestnut (Castanea) are known. Three of them are native to 

 North America of which only one is found in Canada. The common horse chestnut 

 (Aesculus hippocastanum) is not a true chestnut, neither is it a native of this country 

 although largely planted as an ornamental tree in our eastern towns and cities. 



The chestnut (Castanea) is frequently cultivated for its nuts, and several 

 horticultural varieties have been produced. The wood is highly prized for the 

 manufacture of tanning extracts, and also for posts and poles, because of its dur- 

 ability in contact with the soil. 



The chestnut can be easily distinguished from any other native tree by its very 

 spiny bur which contains one or more shiny, brown, thin-shelled, sweet, edible nuts. 



CASTANEA DENTATA (Marsh.), Borkh. CHESTNUT 



Common names: Chestnut, sweet chestnut. 

 French names: Chataignier d'Amerique, chataignier. 



The chestnut is found growing naturally in Canada only in a small part of 

 southern Ontario, viz., that part from the Niagara river and lake Ontario westward 

 to the Detroit river and lake St. Clair. Here it is fairly common throughout the 

 farmers* woods, associated with the various other hardwoods of that region. This 

 is the tree that produces the sweet or edible chestnut and, as stated above, should 

 not be mistaken for the horse chestnut. 



It is a large tree 75 to 80 ft. in height, and 2 to 3 ft. in diameter, sometimes 

 reaching a height of 100 ft. The trunk is usually long and straight, and has httle 

 taper except when grown in the open, where it divides into a few, heavy branches 

 not far from the ground and forms a very broad, rounded crown. 



The bark is roughened by deep longitudinal furrows into coarse ridges on the 

 larger trunks, but on young trees up to about 8 in. in diameter it is comparatively 

 smooth and resembles that of the red oak. 



