154 Select Plants for Industrial Culture 



of the following species, with the qualities of which it otherwise 

 agrees (Dr. Philippi'). This species extends to the Chonos-group, 

 and perhaps still further south, and thus may be of value even for 

 Middle European forest-culture. 



Fagus ferruginea, Aiton. 



North-American Beech. A large tree, with deciduous foliage, 

 easily raised in woodlands. Wood variable according to localities. 

 Well-seasoned wood, according to Simmonds, is remarkably hard and 

 solid, hence employed for plane-stocks, shoe-lasts, tool-handles, 



. various implements and turneries. 



Fagus obliqua, Mirbel. 



The Roble of Chili, called Coyam by the original inhabitants. A 

 tall tree with a straight stem, attaining 3 to 4 feet diameter. Wood 

 heavy and durable, well adapted for posts, beams, girders, rafters and 

 joists, but not' for flooring. One of the few Chilian trees with 

 deciduous foliage (Dr. Philippi). Its value as compared with that of 

 the European Beech should be tested in forest-plantation's. Cyttaria 

 Berteroi (Berkeley) grows on the branches of this Beech. 



Fagus procera, Poeppig. 



Another deciduous Beech of Chili, where it passes by the name 'of 

 Reule or Rauli. Of still more colossal size than the Roble. Wood 

 fisstle, well adapted for staves; finer in grain than that of F. obliqua, 

 and much used for furniture (Dr. Philippi). 



Fagus silvatica, Linn<$. 



The deciduous Beech of Britain, of most other parts of Europe and 

 extra- tropical Asia. The trunk has been measured in height to 118 

 feet, the head to 350 feet in circumference. As far north as lat. 60 23' 

 in Norway Professor Schuebeler found a tree over 70 feet high with a 

 stem 12 feet in circumference; smaller trees grew even to lat. 67 56'. 

 Apt to overpower any other kinds of trees in its native forests. The 

 wood is hard, extensively used by joiners and ship-builders in their 

 trade and by the manufacturers of various implements, especially for 

 planes, shoe-lasts, keys and cogs of machinery, lathe-chucks, gun- 

 stocks, staves, chairs, spoke-shaves, in piano-manufacture for bridges, 

 likewise some portion of the work of organ-builders; enters also into 

 the construction of harmoniums (beds of notes, pallets, rest-pl'anks), 

 further used for carved moulds and for wooden letters in large prints; 

 it is of rather difficult cleavage, great compactness and of considerable 

 strength, and resists great pressure. Beech-tar contains a consider- 

 able proportion of paraffine; the ashes from any portion of this tree 

 are rich in phosphate of lime. For trimming into copse-hedges many 

 give preference to a purple-leaved variety for shoAv. An allied Beech, 

 Fagus Sieboldii (Endlicher), grows in Japan. In the warmer tempe- 

 rate zones all these could only be grown to advantage in springy 

 mountain-forests. 



