TREES TOLD BY THEIR BARK OR TRUNK 



69 



to the ground, and its autumnal coloring, make the beech 

 a favorite for \avni and park planting. The several Euro- 

 pean species of beech are equally charming. 



Commercial value : 

 The wood is strong, 

 close-grained, and tough. 

 It is used mainly for 

 cooperage, tool handles, 

 shoe lasts, chairs, etc., 

 and for fuel. 



Other characters : 

 The fruit is a prickly 

 burr encasing a sharply 

 triangular nut which is 

 sweet and edible. 



Comparisons : The 

 European beech {Fagus 

 sylvatica), and its weep- 

 ing, purple-leaved, and 

 fern-leaved varieties, are 

 frequently met vnih in 

 parks and may be told 

 from the native species 

 by its darker bark. The 

 weeping form may, of 

 course, be told readily Fig. 50. — Bark of the Hackben-y. 



by its drooping branches. 



The leaves of the European beeches are broader and less 

 serrated than those of the American beech. 



