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Fagus sylvatica. (European Beech. No. 21.) This 

 is indeed a splendid gathering of the European beech — 

 a veritable grove of them. They are all doing well, 

 and are remarkably healthy and lusty. Come upon 

 them in spring, when they are setting their boughs 

 with that peculiar delicate, tender green which only 

 the beech can show. No other tree can compare, in 

 spring leafage, with the tender green of the beech. 

 If you don't believe it, stand under a beech at this 

 season of the year and look up through the young 

 leaves at the sunshine. Can anything equal that glory 

 of illumined green! There is a tender translucency 

 of light, that seems to hallow and sanctify, as it passes 

 through; an ethereal quality, that seems almost fairy- 

 like and full of things that cannot be described. And 

 in summer these trees are quite as lovable. Then the 

 bright, light green grows deeper and richer. The 

 European beech differs from our native beech in one 

 very marked and easily distinguishable feature — in its 

 leaves. Look at the margin of the leaf. The leaf of 

 the European is not toothed, the leaf of the American 

 is very strongly toothed, the teeth terminating the 

 veins. If you will remember this, you can distinguish 

 between the two trees at a glance. In addition, the 

 leaf of the European is very hairy ( cilia te) all along 

 the entire margin. Again the European has a gray 

 bark, darker than the very light gray of our native 

 beech. The habit of growth is usually different also. 

 The European branches lower, and has a more squat 

 and thickset look, while the branches reach out more 

 horizontally. You will find this really handsome grove 



