143 



THE BEECH. 



Fagus sylvatica. 



Natural Order — Amentace^. 



C?ffss— MoNCECiA. Order — Poltandkia. 



The Beech, though one of our most abundant forest 

 trees, growing spontaneously in the wildest parts of many 

 of the counties of England, perfecting its seed freely, and 

 sustaining a vigorous growth (which proves that the soil 

 and climate of the country are perfectly congenial to it), is 

 nevertheless declared by many writers to be a doubtful 

 native. This opinion they justify on the ground that 

 Julius Csesar, in his account of his invasion of Britain, 

 states that " timber of every kind which is found in Gaul 

 also grows in Britain, except the Beech and the Silver 

 Fir." ^ The fact is, that by far too much importance is 

 attached to this passage. Caesar penetrated but a very 

 little way into Britain, stayed there but a very short time, 

 and rarely ventured to any great distance from the camp ; 

 consequently he saw very little of the country. There can 

 be no doubt, however, that he was anxious to convey to 

 his countrymen as favourable an impression as possible 

 to of his achievments ; so that, the success of his military 

 operations being slight, he would very Avillingly have them 

 infer, from the minuteness with which he particularised 

 the produce of the island, that he had penetrated far into 

 the country, but had met with no adventures worth 

 recording. This seems the readiest way of meeting the 

 difficulty. Other writers suggest that some other tree than 

 the Beech may be identical with the Fagus of Caesar, and 

 have endeavoured to show that he meant the Chestnut. 



1 "Materia cuj usque generis^ ut in Gallia est, praeter Fagum et 

 Abietem." — C^esae, de Bell. Gal. 



