To/tut Supplementary Plate No. 406. 



FASTIGIATE BEECH 



We are indebted to Mr. F. R. S. Balfour for the picture of a very remarkable beech 

 which he showed me in 1908, growing close to Dawyck House, Peeblesshire. So 

 far as we know, the habit of this tree is unique ; though, according to Koch, 1 a 

 fastigiate beech formerly existed in the nursery of Simon- Louis at Metz. The 

 tree at Dawyck was 48 ft. by 4 ft. 2 in. in 19 12 ; and is supposed by Mr. Balfour to 

 be about forty years old, but to my eye it is much older. It has lately been de- 

 scribed and illustrated by H. A. Hesse 2 of Weener, Hanover, under the name 

 Fagus silvatica Dawycki. Young plants have been propagated by layering and by 

 grafting, and two of these are growing well at Colesborne. 



1 Dcndrologie, ii. pt. ii. 17 (1873). Simon-Louis, who called this form var. fastigiata, do not advertise it now in their 

 catalogues. Var. pyramidalis, Petzold and Kirchner, Arb. Muse. 662 (1864), described as being pyramidal in habit, is un- 

 known to us. 



2 In Mitt. Dent. Vend. Ges. 1912, p. 366. 



