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BEECH. 

 Fagus grandifolia, Ehrhart. 



FOBM — Large tree nsoally attaining a lieight of 50 cM It. with a diameter of 2 3 ft., but 

 may reach a height of 125 ft. with a .llameler of 4i feet. Forest grown trees tall, slender, 

 free fiom lateral branclie? for a considerable distance from the base, with a rather compact 

 shallow crown. Open grown trees short-tronked, covered with many lateral branches which 

 arc often drooping below and erect above, forming a dense, deep, symmetrical crown. 



EAKK — Very close, smooth, light gray, mottled with dark spots. It invites the cutting 

 of initials and other ootline carvings. See Fig. 92. 



TWIGS — Slender, da:lc yellow to gray, at first hairy, later smooth, zigzag, covered with 

 yellowish lenticels, and marked by Dod-scale scars. 



BUDS Alternate; terminal bud present; five times as long as wide, slender, sharp pointed. 



conical, usually smooth, covered by 10-20 reddish-brown bud-scales with hairy margins. 



LEAVES — Alternate, simple, ovate, 3-4 inches long, still leathery, with tapering apex and 

 sharp-toctbed margin: light green above, yellowish-green below. 



LEAF-SCASS — Raited, crescent-shaped to elliptical with a few scattered bundle-scairs. 

 Sti'uli- scars narrow, almost encircling twig; one end of each stlpDle-scar Is raised above the 



othei end. 



FLOWEES— Appear ab<ut April when leaves are one-third developed. Stamlnate flowers 

 In a stalked round head about one Inch In diameter; pistillate flowers in 2-flowered clusters 

 from the axil of the upper leaves. 



lEUIT A stalked, prickly, 4-valved lur containing triangular pale brown, shining nuts 



with sweet edible kernel. 



WOOr— Difrnse-iiorous with minute pores: broad medullary rays present with narrow ones 

 int€rvenlng; hard, etiong, tough, not durable, difficult to season, light red in color. Weighs 

 42.SJ Hi!,, per cubic fool. Used for Tailro.id ties, parquet flooring, novelty wares, carpenter 

 tools, fuel, and charcoal. 



DISTINGUISHING CHAILACTEBISTICS — The American Beech can readily be distinguished by 

 its close, smooth, li-jhl gray bark, its simple, leathery, often persistent leaves, its prickly 

 and stalked fruit with triangular seeds, and its long, slender, conical, sharp-pointed reddish- 

 brown buds. 



RANGE — Nova Scotia to Ontario and Wisconsin, south to Florida and Texas. 



DISIKIBUTION IX PENNSYLVANIA — Found in every part of the State, but most abundant 

 in the northern part. Local in the soatheastern and southwestern parts. 



HABITAT Commonly found on rich motet bottom lands, but is also abundant on gravelly 



slope.', and rich upland?. It endures dense shade and variations of temperature. 



IMPOETANCE OF THE SPECIES— This species vfas formerly not of very much commercial 

 Importance, but it is now becoming more important since the process of timber impregnation 

 has been developMl. It furnishes «xcellent fuel and in some regions it is now converted into 

 railroad ties and aUo manufactured into various by-products on a rather extensive scale. 

 It cannot, however, be recommended for ertensive planting for forestry purposes but should 

 be retained and developed in the farmer's woodlot where the production of fuel is important. 

 In the future when more intensive systems of forest minagement have been developed it 

 can be used for undeiplanting and as a wil conserver. 



