LKiHTEMNG. — THE BEECH TREE. 739 
judgment; ami yet it too often happens, that those who are extremely 
fond of planting, cannot reconcile to their taste and judgment, to mit 
away trees, or even the large and strong branches that absolutely 
injure their plantations, and eventually defeat their progressive im- 
provement. Surely no person can dispute, that a grove or planta- 
tion consisting of trees, furnished with proper branches and rich fo- 
liage, is not a more pleasing and beautiful object, than if such trees 
presented an unsightly apjiearance of half dead, and feeble stems ; 
nor is it to be supposed, that trees crowded together, and robbing 
each other of support, and of the invigorating powers of the sun and 
air, can arrive at a profitable growth. It is more absurd to be tena- 
cious of cutting away, and priming young trees when necessary, 
than it is reprehensible not to plant them, when it may be done with 
advantage. Trees do not, like animals, wear out their organs, for 
they are provided with new ones every year ; no necessary cause of 
death therefore, is inherent in their nature. The vessels and fibres 
forming the external layer, which add every year to the circumfer- 
ence of the stem, where the life of the plant principally resides are 
wholly new, and so unconnected with the layers of preceding years, 
that the latter may be removed by hollowing out without killing the 
tree. The concentric circles observable on the transverse section of 
the stem of a tree, mark successive generations. As every concen- 
tric circle on the stem is a new generation, so is eveiy bud on the 
branches a new-born child, every twig, a family, and the tree a na- 
tion ; and trees like nations, (olive trees especially) may be said to 
live sempre ! their death, in fact, is an accident ; there are indeed, 
living olive trees on record, known to have flourished ten centuries 
ago, and which were planted by the Romans. The shell of an olive 
tree is as picturesque as the foliage (which resembles that of a sick 
willow) is otherwise. 
An Arborist, 
The Vale of Clwydd. 
ARTICLE XV. 
LIGHTENING.— NON-CONDUCTING PROPERTY OF THE BEECH 
TREE.— By Omega. 
Instances of loss of life by lightening, arising from the circum- 
stance of persons imprudently taking shelter under trees from rain, 
during thunder storms, are not of rare occurrence ; this is not sur- 
prising, as trees are, more or less, subject to be attacked by the elec- 
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