F 



THE BEECH 



ROM time immemorial the European Beech has been celebrated for the denseness 

 of its shade and the usefulness of its wood. In Theocritus we read: 



" I ran to meet you as a traveller 



Rests from the sun under a shady beech." 



And in Virgil we find these lines : 



" No wars did men molest 

 When only beechen bowls were in request." 



In these respects the American Beech resembles its European cousin. The thin 

 paper-like leaves are so abundant as to give a most grateful shade, while the hard, tough 

 wood is largely used for manufacturing purposes as well as for fuel. And American artists 

 and poets have found in our trees much the same charm that the European artists and 

 poets have found in theirs. Some of the favorite ornamental trees for planting in America 

 are varieties of the European Beech, notably the familiar Purple-leaved Beech, the Cut- 

 leaved Beech and the Weeping Beech. 



The Beech is one of the most characteristic of American trees. In winter the smooth, 

 steel-gray bark of the trunk as well as the long, slender, acutely-pointed buds at once 

 distinguish it. In spring the pollen-bearing and the seed-bearing blossoms, appearing as 

 the leaves develop, differ from those of any other trees, while in summer and autumn the 

 leaves and fruit are both distinctive. The smooth nuts fall from the spiny cases after the 

 first hard frosts, and are filled with a sweet meat which is much esteemed. In .former times 

 these nuts formed a large part of the "mast" upon which the wild pigeons fed, and for 

 which the early settlers allowed their swine to roam the woods. 



Over a large part of the United States, Beech and Maple formed the prevailing trees 

 of the hardwood forest when the country was settled. Beeches alone often cover con- 

 siderable forest areas. They occur in a variety of situations, from the sides of mountains 

 of considerable height to the borders of lowland streams, although most abundant on fairly 

 level uplands. The species is distributed from the region of the Great Lakes south to 

 Missouri and Texas, and east to the Atlantic. It is a favorite tree for planting in parks 

 and private estates. 



The development of the buds and leaves in spring reveals wonderful color tones in 

 browns and greens, while the young seedlings to be found beneath every bearing tree 

 furnish most interesting studies in the elements of forestry. 



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