60 



BEECH MAST. 



The wood of the beech is close-grained^ 

 brittle, and hard ; capable of being manufac- 

 tured with the utmost neatness, and therefore 

 much used by turners, cabinet-makers, and 

 others. Carpenters' tools are commonly han- 

 dled with this wood. The fruit is a kind of 

 nut, enclosed in a prickly husk, and is called 

 beech mast'' 



Mast," said Mr. Longhurst, is a word 

 applied generally to the fruit of the oak, beech, 

 and chestnut. Johnson derives it from the 

 Saxon mcesty and I think that the Germans 

 had it probably from the Latin mastico, to mas- 

 ticate, or chew. Beech mast is somewhat 

 more palatable than horse-chestnuts or acorns ; 

 but is not very wholesome, if eaten in too 

 great quantities. When dried and powdered^ 

 I have seen it, in the Grecian islands, made 

 into very tolerable bread ; and the inhabitants 



