380 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



THE BEECH TKEE. 



(nous STLVATICA.) 



Few of the indigenous trees of this climate, of 

 the deciduous class, are more valuable either for 

 ornament or use, than the beech. In most of 

 the New England States, it flourishes vigorously 

 in its natural condition, often constituting exten- 

 sive forests, where it is easily discriminated by its 

 ■waved and rather oval leaves, and triangular fruit, 

 consisting of two and three cells, enclosed by a 

 husk covered with spines or simple prickles. No 

 American tree endures better the violence of 

 transplanting. The facility also with which it 

 may be trained, so as to constitute long lines of 

 lofty hedge, admirably designed to afford shelter 

 during winter from cold and sweeping winds, ren- 

 der it a most desirable acquisition to the hus- 

 bandman, in exalted regions, as well also as to 

 the amateur farmer and the man of taste. 



The fruit of the beech is another persuasive 

 argument in its favor. This, which is called 

 "mast," by some, usually falls with the second or 

 third heavy frost. It is very palatable and nu- 

 tritious ; although if taken in excess, it will pro- 

 duce nausea and vertigo or giddiness. In a dried 

 and ground state, it is highly alimentary, and can 

 be made into excellent bread. The inhabitants of 

 one of the Ionian Isles, Scio, we think, are said 

 to have been enabled to withstand a memorable 

 siege, simply by the sustenance afforded them 

 by the mast of the fagus sylvatica — a tree indig- 

 enous in Scio, as probably in most of the Ionian 

 groups. The fruit, roasted and prepared as cof- 

 fee, is said to possess a highly delicious and fra- 

 grant flavor, superior in point of richness and 

 mildness to the best Mocha. The nut yields also 

 a sweet and bland oil, which may be expressed 

 by the simplest machinery, requiring only the ap- 

 plication of a moderate pressure for its expres- 

 sion. When extracted, it may be used as a sub- 

 stitute for butter, olive oil, &c. ; and in this way 

 we have the attestation of the press and of trav- 

 ellers, that it is extensively used in Silesia, as well 

 as in several other lands. In some countries the 

 foliage, as well as the nuts, is economized ; the 

 leaves are gathered from the trees in the autumn, 

 before the disorganizing effects of frost have op- 

 erated on their vitality, and applied as materials 

 for beds and mattresses — being preferable for 

 this purpose, to hay, straw or chafl" — and as food 

 for cattle. 



But these beautiful trees are, like the pine, the 

 maple, and the other native trees, rapidly disap- 

 pearing from among us, in the same way that 

 forests have disappeared in other countries. 

 "France," said M. Thuan, "will disappear as 

 many flourishing countries have, if she does not 

 follow the example of Cyrus, who planted forests 

 in Asia Minor. It is only the abundance of for- 



ests and water that enables China to support her 

 300,000,000 of inhabitants, because in this em- 

 pire there are more trees planted than destroyed. 

 Spain, so densely populated, and so highly culti- 

 vated at the time of the Romans, Moors and 

 Charles the Fifth, owes her desolate aspect at 

 present, to this waste of wood." So it will be 

 with any country, when no trees are planted to 

 supply the place of those destroyed. 



For the Neu> England Farmer. 

 "WHY DON'T THE SEED VEGETATE P 



Perhaps you dealt with a dishonest or careless 

 seedsman, who sold you seed which had lost its 

 vitality, and hence could not vegetate ; or per- 

 haps, which is more probable, you did not de- 

 velop the vitality which was in the seed. It may 

 be you planted it just deep enough for ordinary 

 weather, but too deep, as it proved, for the cold, 

 wet weather that succeeded your planting ; and 

 hence the seed rotted in the earth ; or, again, too 

 shallow for the hot, dry spell that followed. I 

 planted nearly five thousand hills of the Mason 

 cabbage about the 20th of June, and the seed in 

 but about fifty hills have vegetated. "He was a 

 rascal that sold me that seed for a fresh article," 

 I might have said, but the fact was, I raised the 

 seed myself, and knew it to be both fresh and of 

 first rate quality ; of course, then, I magnanimous- 

 ly spared the lash. The truth is, the surface soil 

 has become too dry since the seed was planted to 

 supply it with sufficient moisture. When the 

 rain comes, if meanwhile the dry earth is not 

 blown away sufficiently to lay the seed bare, I pre- 

 sume, when too late in the day to be of any value, 

 the young plants may deign to show themselves. 

 I must clap some pickling cucumbers or fall 

 turnips into the piece. 



Again, there is my thrifty neighbor Goodwin. 

 Early in the spring he planted cabbage seed of 

 his own raising, of the growth of the year previ- 

 ous, as fresh and plump seed as you would wish 

 to see. Well, his seed, for some reason, meta- 

 physical, hygienic, or otherwise, refused to vege- 

 tate ; many of us believe that with the cold, wet 

 season of early spring, it rotted in the ground. I 

 warrant you, he dosn't lash the back of that seed- 

 raiser very hard, because of the failure. The 

 truth is, while every seed-dealer is bound to deal- 

 honestly and honorably with the community in 

 the freshness and soundness and genuineness of 

 the seed he sends into the market, yet, as in the 

 course of Providence, up to the present date, he 

 is not permitted to sell with the seed, control in 

 full of all the laws which govern germination, an 

 occasional failure, and consequent disappoint- 

 ment, always to be regretted, may occasionally 

 be expected. J. J, H. GREGORY. 



Marblehead, Mass., July 1, 1861. 



An English Taste. — Mr. Tucker, in one of 

 his letters to the Country Gentleman, thus speaks 

 of the English ambition : 



"People in these manufacturing villages are ex- 

 ceedingly fond of getting a piece of land of their 

 own. It helps them perhaps in the keep of a 



