YOUNG TREES, ETC. 49 



the situation upon a slope rather than upon a 

 level 



In the forest the elm tree requires considerable 

 space in order to develope itself properly ; the 

 natural habit of the tree is to spread out its 

 branches horizontally, and if much confined by its 

 neighbours, it becomes drawn up and weakly, and 

 does not grow well to timber. 



The Beech Tree {Fagus sylvatka) is a native 

 of Britain, and is found growing naturally in almost 

 all old plantations. It is a very ornamental tree 

 upon a lawn or park, and often attains even greater 

 dimensions than the elm, and lives to about the 

 same age. The beech is not considered a valuable 

 timber tree, although it bears a strong massive 

 appearance ; the wood is very brittle and short- 

 grained, and not well adapted for purposes where 

 strength and durabihty are required. It is a tree 

 which, from its accommodating habits, is well fitted 

 for growing in a forest among others; but, upon 

 account of the httle value now set upon its wood, 

 it is not extensively introduced among other more 

 valuable trees in modern plantations. However, few 

 trees suffer less from bad management than the 

 beech; although it may have been overburdened 

 and crushed down among other trees, yet, when it is 

 once relieved, it will shoot up again, and in a few 

 years make good its position among its neigh- 

 bours. Upon poor, thin, sandy soils, and even 



D 



