THE BEECH 49 



centre of their envelope. The former has a 

 profuse undergrowth of young shoots round 

 the hase of the trunk ; the latter has fewer. 

 The timber is very fine, and specially adapted 

 for any purpose which requires continual 

 exposure to wet. In age and size the elm 

 closely approaches the oak, but is much more 

 varied, a large number of named varieties 

 being grown. 



The ' warlike Beech,' to quote Spenser 

 again (Fagus sylvatica), Plate I., Fig. 3, is to 

 my mind a more lovely tree than either oak 

 or elm. 1 It is, however, much less useful. It 

 may be known by its polished grey stem, its 

 smooth, glossy leaves, having a regular and 

 unnotched outline, and its bristly nuts or 

 ' mast.' Nothing can be more pleasant than 

 to walk on a warm day through the cool and 

 fragrant aisles of a beech- wood. As it has the 

 property of repressing all rank growth beneath 

 its shade, the ground is usually free from 

 obstructions. The mould formed by myriads 

 of decaying leaves is greatly esteemed by 

 gardeners. The tree grows to an altitude of 



1 Gilbert White, of Selborne, calls it ' the most beautiful and 

 ornamental of all forest trees.' 



