THE BIRCH. 11 



growth, and be fit to transplant the second year. The 

 fancy varieties are grafted on these as for the Elm. The 

 Beech will nourish only in a dry sandy soil, where it 

 will live and become a large tree. It will not decay 

 in the timber when the soil suits it, but it is fearfully 

 subject to the depredations of those destructive wood- 

 borers the 8irex Gigas and Sirex Juvancus, notwith- 

 standing its hardness Avhen dry. 



This wood is of great value for mechanical uses, but 

 valueless for any purpose where exposure to wet is 

 necessary. The Beech is of all deciduous trees the 

 most useful from two or three points of view ; first, it is 

 well adapted for inner summer wind-breaks in any 

 garden ; secondly, it never distresses the land. More- 

 over, it is of a lively green, and it may be clipped to 

 any compass ; and being deciduous and of light growth, 

 it shades but little during winter. The bronze and 

 copper Beech are very uncommon, and are desirable 

 dwarf trees among other shrubbery plants. 



The Birch. 



There are a great many varieties of the Birch, some 

 of which are really handsome, especially the pendulous 

 kinds. These are particularly so when they get old. 

 I know of no forest trees comparable with fine old 

 standards [Alba Betula) growing at the edge of a planta- 

 tion so as to show themselves beyond the rest of the 

 trees, or planted in large clumps of a dozen or so, with 

 an Oak or two filling up the middle. If the laud is 

 moderately dry and good, the Birch will grow well, 

 attain to a fair size, and live to a good old age ; but, if 

 not, it will decay before its time. The timber is com- 

 paratively worthless except for some dry mechanical 

 purposes. The wood is of the finest grain, heavy, and 

 durable, and is fit for some fine cabinet-work, being free 

 from iron, oil, &c. 



This wood is subject to the attacks of the Sirex Gigas 

 and Sirex Juvancus, the wood-borers. 



The Birch is propagated by seed and by grafting. 



