HORNBEAM TREE. 



CARPINUS. 



CORVLIDE^E. MONCECIA FOLYANDRIA. 



Carpinus from carpere, to crop. French, charme, charraille ; 

 Italian, carpino ; English, hornbeam, hardbeam, horse-beech, horn- 

 beech, wych-hazel, or witch-hazel, and yoke-elm. 



THE leaf of the Hornbeam, Carpinus betulus, is very 

 similar to that of the elm (in which genus old Gerarde 

 would fain have it placed) : it begins to appear about the 

 end of March, and by the middle of April the tree is in 

 full leaf; towards the end of that month, it is in full 

 blossom also. It retains the old leaves till driven off by 

 the new. 



This tree is very common in many parts of England, 

 but is so constantly pollarded by the country people, that 

 it is seldom suffered to attain a handsome growth. When 

 they escape the hands of these executioners, they will 

 grow, especially in a stiff clayey soil, to a height of 

 seventy feet, with large noble stems, perfectly straight 

 and sound. 



Fawkes alludes to the regular growth of the Horn- 

 beam hedge, in his Bramham Park : 



" Here spiry firs extend their lengthened ranks, 

 There violets blossom on the sunny banks ; 

 Here hornbeam hedges regularly grow, 

 There hawthorn whitens, and wild roses blow." 



Martyn observes, that of late years this tree has only 



