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There is but one Species of this 

 Tree at prefent known, (except 

 the tv/o Varieties with ftrip'd 

 Leaves, v/hich are accidentalj tho' 

 the Planters would diftinguifh two 

 or three Sorts j one of which they 

 call the Mountmi-Beech, and, as 

 they fay, affords a much whiter 

 Timber than the other which they 

 call the Wild Beech : But as tlicie 

 have never been diftinguiib'd by 

 the Botanifts, nor can I perceive 

 any real Difference amongft all the 

 Trees of this Kind 1 have yet feen, 

 fo I rather think the Difference in 

 the Colour of the Wood is occa- 

 fion'd by the Places of their 

 Growth i which is otten obferv'd 

 to be the Cafe with moff other 

 Sorts of Timber. 



This Tree is propagated by fov/- 

 ing the Mad ■■, the Seafon for which 

 is any time from Ociober to Te- 

 .hruary, or by obferving to fjcure the 

 Seeds from Vermin when early 

 fow'd 5 which, if carefully done, 

 the fooner they are fown the bet- 

 ter, after they are fully ripe : A 

 fmall Spot of Ground will be fuffi- 

 cient for raifmg a great Number 

 of thefe Trees from Seed, but you 

 muff be very careful to keep them 

 clear from Weeds ■■, and if the Plants 

 come up very thick, you Ihould 

 not fail to draw out the ftrongeil 

 of them the Autumn following, 

 that thofe left may have Room to 

 grow; So that if you husband a 

 Seed-bed carefully, it will afford a 

 three Years Draught of young 

 Plants ; which fliould be planted in 

 a Nurfery, and, if deiign'd for 

 Timber-trees, at three Feet Diftance 

 Row from Row, and eighteen 

 Jnches afunder in the Rows. 



But if they are deiign'd for 

 Hedges, (to which the Tree is very 

 well adapted) the Diftance need not 

 be fo great, two Feet Row from 



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Row, and one Foot in the Rows 



will be fufficient. In this Nurfery 

 they may remain two or three 

 Years, obferving to clear them 

 from Weeds, as alfo to dig up the 

 Ground between the Roots, at leaft 

 once a Year, that their tender 

 Roots may the better extend them- 

 felvcs each Way ; but be careful 

 not to cut or bruife their Roots, 

 which is injurious to all young 

 Trees, and never dig the Ground 

 in Summer, when the Earth is hot 

 and dry, which, by letting in the 

 Rays of the Sun to the Roots, is 

 often the Deftruft ion of young Trees. 



This Tree will grow to a con- 

 fiderable Stature, though the Soil 

 be ffony and barren, as alfo upon 

 the Declivities of Hills, and chalky 

 Mountains, v/here is will refift 

 the Winds better than moft other 

 Trees •■, but then the Niirferies for 

 the young Plants ought to be upon 

 the fame Soil j for if they are rais'd 

 in a good Soil and a, warm Expo- 

 fure, and afterwards tranfplanted 

 into a bleak, barren Situation, they 

 feldom thrive, which holds true in 

 moft other Trees, therefore I would 

 advife the Nurfery to be made up- 

 on the fame Soil where the Planta- 

 tion is intended *. But of this I 

 fhall fay more under the Article 

 of Nurfery. 



The Tree is very proper to form 

 large Hedges to ilirround Planta- 

 tions or large Wildernefs Quarters, 

 and may be kept in a regular Fi- 

 gure, if fiicar'd twice a Year, efpe- 

 cially if they fl^ioot ftrong ; in 

 which Cale, if they are neglcfted 

 but a Seafon or two, it will be 

 difficult to reduce them again. The 

 Shade of this Tree is very injuri- 

 ous to moft Sorts of Plants which 

 grow near it, but is generally be- 

 lieved to be very falubrious to 

 human Bodies. 



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