A Difcourfe of Forcft-Tf ees. 31 



likcwife to be planted of young feedli/tgs to be drawn out of the 

 places where the fruitful Trees abound. In Tranjplanting them cut 

 offonly the boughs and bruifed parts, two Inches from the Jiem^ 

 to within a jfardo£ the top 5 but be very fparing of the Root: 

 This for fuch as are of ^vetty jiature. They make Ipreading Trees, 

 and noble shades with their well furnifh'd and gliftering leaves, 

 being fetat forty foot diftance; but they grow taller and more 

 upright in the Forejis, where I have beheld them at eight and ten 

 foot, fioot into very long poles j but neither fo apt for Timber, 

 nor Fuel : In the Vallies (where they ftand warm, and in confort) 

 they will grow to a Hcxx^endsoxasprocerity, though the foil be ftony 

 and very barren : Alfo upon the declivities', fides and tops of 

 high HiUs, and chalkje Monntains efpecially ; for they will ftrange- 

 ly infinuate their Roots into the bowels of thofe feemingly impene- 

 trable places, not much unlike the F/r it felf, which, with this lb 

 common Tree, the great C^far denies to be found in Britahny, 

 Materia cujufque generis , ut in GaUia,pr£ter Fagum ^ ahietem : but 

 certainly from a grand miftake. 



2. The 25eec/> ferves for various t^je/ of the Houje-mfej with it 

 the Turner makes DiJIies, Trajs,Eowls, Ritnbs for Buckets, and other 

 Utenfils, Trenchers, Drejfer-boards, d^c. likewife for the Wheeler, 

 Jcyner, and VpholUer for Sellyes, Chairs, Stools, Bed-jieads, d^c. for 

 the Bellovps-maker, and Husbandman his Shovel and Spade-graffs-^ for 

 Fuel, Billet, Bavin and €oal though one of the leaft lafting : Not 

 to omit even the very shavings for the fining of Wines. Of old 

 they made their Fafa Vindimiatoria and Corhes MeJfori£ (as we our 

 pots for Strarv-berries) with the Rind of this Beech > and that cu- 

 rioufly wrought Cup which the shepherd in the Bucolickj wagers 

 with all, was engraven by Alcimedon upon the Barks>i this Tree : 

 You would not wonder to hear me deplore the fo frequent ule of 

 this Wood, if you did confider that the induftry of France fur- 

 niflies that Country for all domeftic Vtenjils with excellent Wall- 

 nut 5 a material infinitely preferrable to the beft Beech 5 which is 

 indeed good only (or Jhade and for Fire ^ as being brittle, and ex- 

 ceedingly obnoxious to the fFbr»^.- But whil'fl: we thus condemn 

 the Timber, we muft not omit to praife theMaff, which fats our 

 Swine and Deer, and hath in fome Families even fupported men 

 with bread : Chios indur'd a memorable Siege by the benefit of 

 this Maji : and in Ibme parts of France they now grind the Buckjn 

 Mills ; it affords a fweet Oyl which the poor people eat mofl: wil- 

 lingly : But there is yet another benefit which this Tree prefents 

 us i that its very leaves which make a natural, and moft agreeable 

 Canopy all the Summer 5 being gather'd about the fall, and fome- 

 what before they are nwxchfioji- bitten, afford the beft and eafieft 

 Mattrejfes in the world to lay under our quilts inftead of Jiraw 5 

 becaulc, befides their tendernefs and loofe lying together, they 

 continue fweet for feven or eight years long ; before which 

 time^r^ip becomes muHy, and hardj They are thus ufed by di- 

 vers perfons of ^ality in Dauphine, and in Switzerland I have 



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