52 TREE-PLANTING. 



best plan is to cut them down in April, to within four- 

 inches of the ground, and pick out the strongest and 

 straightest shoots to form the future tree. This is 

 likely to occur so, if they are allowed to stand for 

 more than two years, without being transplanted in 

 the nursery. 



The beech has a tendency to throw out spreading 

 branches, and where the ultimate object is to obtain 

 a number of good straight timber trees, they should 

 stand for the first few years in close proximity 

 together, so as to discourage the growth of side spray, 

 and not be allowed to waste themselves in spreading 

 branches. As they advance in growth and age, 

 greater freedom must be allowed to them. 



The timber of the beech is not considered very 

 valuable, except for certain purposes as household 

 furniture, in the form of chairs, tables, chests of 

 drawers, and bedsteads, corn measures, etc. In the' 

 mountainous districts of France, the sabots, or wooden 

 shoes, are made from beech. It also answers well for 

 all purposes and objects where timber is needed to be 

 constantly submerged in water, as piles, flood-gates,, 

 sluices, and the keels of vessels. In France the oily 

 secretion of the nuts is more developed than in those 

 produced in this climate, a considerable quantity of 

 oil being made from them, in which a trade of some 

 little importance is done in certain districts ; but I 

 believe nothing of the kind has been attempted in 

 England. 



Up to the present the English farmer has not 

 turned his attention to manufactures, which could be 

 carried out to a much larger extent than they are, in 

 conjunction with rural occupations, which the future 



