1696. i-.sj'Ivdtica,
sheltering gardens, o rchards, and small fields for affording early grass the
beech has no equal among deciduous tre es ; for, as B o u tch e r obseVves
by retaining its withe red leaves all th e winter, it affords th e same protection
as an evergreen. T h e beech will grow on dry soils, including sand, oravel
an d chalk, more freely th a n most o th e r tre es ; th ough it is found m the
g re a te st perfection in sandy calcareous loam, o r in fresh sandy loam on
clay or rock. T h e most magnificent beeches in F ran c e are in Normandy
on th e private e sta te o f th e king, Louis Philippe, where th e soil is a
loani on chalk rock. T h e species is always raised from th e seeds o r nuts
which are commonly called mast. These begin to drop from th e husks in the
months o f October and November ; and this process may be accelerated by
shaking th e tre e. T h e n u ts may then be gathered up, and dried in th e sun or in
an airy shed o r lo f t ; after which, th ey may be mixed with sand th a t is perfectly
dry, a t th e ra te o f th re e bushels o f sand to one o f mast. B y some
th e mast is spread in a th in stratum on a loft floor, with o u t any sand ;
where it remains till th e following spring, being occasionally tu rn ed over
and being covered with straw to exclude th e frost. T h e mast, from which an
oil is made in F ran ce, re ta in s its vital properties for one year only • and
therefore, it must be sown, a t th e latest, during th e following spring. The
common time is from th e beginning o f March till th e beginning o f April
Autumn might be adopted for sowing, were it n o t th a t th e nu ts are greedily
soiiglit after, through th e winter, by mice and o th e r vermin. T h e soil in which
th e n u ts a re sown ought always to be light, and more o r less rich, as th e iilants
are ra th e r ten d e r when young. They may e ith e r be sown in beds o r in drills
with th e usual covering o f soil, being ab o u t 1 in. T h e seeds should n o t lie
nearer to one an o th er, when sown, than 1 in. Mast, sown in th e autumn,
will come up in April ; and th a t sown in spring, seldom la ter than the
beginning o f May. T h e varieties arc propagated by layers, inarching, or
grafting. When th e la tte r practice is adopted, it is found to be more successful
when th e scions are o f two yea rs’ growth, and when th e graft is earthed up
in th e manner practised with th e grafts o f American oaks. (S e e p. 862.)
¥ 2. F . FERRUGINEA Ait. The American ferruginous-u)oof/é-/ Beech.
Id e n tific a tio n . A i t . H o r t . K e w . , 3 . p . 3G2. ; M ic h x . N . A m e r . , 3 . n . 21
F . am e ric àn a la tifò lia D m I . p. 269. ; r e d B e e c .., .
E n g r a v m g s . M ic h x . N . A m e r . S y l., 3. t . 106. ; W a h ii . A m e r t 20
f. 5 5 . ; a n d o u r * . 1698.
Spec. Char., cfc. Leaves ovate, acuminate, thickly
toothed ; downy beneath ; ciliate on th e margin. ^
( fITUd.) A deciduous tre e, so much resembling '
the common E u ro p e an beech, as by some to be
considered only a variety o f it. N o rth America.
Height 40 ft. to 60 ft. Introduced in 1766, and
not u nfrequent in collections.
Varieiic.x.
i F . / a caroliniàna. F . caroliniàna Lodd.
Cat. ed. 1836. (O u r fig . 1697.) — Leaves
somewhat co rdate a t the'base, ovate, slightly
1697. i'. f. caroliniàna.
acuminate, obsoletely dentate, and somewhat mucronate. The
colour IS a very dark green, somewhat tinged with purple when fully
mature. T h e veins o f th e u n d er side o f th e le a f arc somewhat
hoary. N o t common in collections.
¥ F . / . 3 latifòlia. F . latifòlia o f Le e’s Nursery. (O u r fia. 1 699.)-
Leaves lanceolate, acumi-
nate ; tapering a t the
base, feather-nerved, much
longer th a n th o se o f the
preceding variety in proportion
to th e ir breadth,
and o f a lig h ter green.
1699. F. f. laUfolia.
The American beech is easily known from th e E urope an one by its much
shorter obtusely pointed buds, with sh o rt, roundish, convex scales, which te rminate
almost abruptly, and a re enclosed in numerous, sh o rt, loose scales
Its leaves are equally brilliant with tliose o f th e white or E urope an beech, a
httle larger and thicker, and more deeply s errated , its frn it is o f th e same
torni, b u t only h a lf as large ; while th e prickles o f its calyx arc less numerous,
b u t firmer. Th e wood is somewhat red, or o f a ru sty inie, vvhen
ma tu re ; whence th e name. P ropagated by layers and grafting.