. A description and history of vegetable substances, used in the arts, and in domestic economy . esnut is the tree with which Salvator Rosadelighted to adorn his bold and rugged flourished in the mountains of Calabria, whichfurnished the scenes of many of this great artists pic-tures. It grows not milike the ash, except that itsbranches are more straggling. The Beech (Fagits sylvatica) is more generallydiffused, and more abundant in Britain than thechesnut. Like the chesnut, it thrives best in richsoils and sheltered situations; and, when planted inplaces that agree well with it,
. A description and history of vegetable substances, used in the arts, and in domestic economy . esnut is the tree with which Salvator Rosadelighted to adorn his bold and rugged flourished in the mountains of Calabria, whichfurnished the scenes of many of this great artists pic-tures. It grows not milike the ash, except that itsbranches are more straggling. The Beech (Fagits sylvatica) is more generallydiffused, and more abundant in Britain than thechesnut. Like the chesnut, it thrives best in richsoils and sheltered situations; and, when planted inplaces that agree well with it, it is a beautiful aswell as a valuable tree. The close texture of thebeech renders it a vei-y fit timber for machinery, forthe stocks and handles of tools, and for many otherpurposes. It is not proof against the worm, how-ever; and when exposed to alternate drought andmoisture it soon decays. Against a cross strain,too, ■ it is not so strong as the grained timbers, andthat, with the comparative shortness of its duration,makes it but little used in buildijig. Although, easily THE BEECH. 93. Beech—Fagus sylvatica. turned, it is not well adapted for bowls and hollowvessels, as it is apt to split when suddenly driedafter being wet. It has been doubted whether the beech be anative of Britain. If it be the fagvs of the Ro-mans, this is not probable. Caesar, who was an acuteobser\er, mentions that he did not find it in thecountry; and as he was in the warmest and richestparts of it, he was exactly in those in which thebeech was the most likely to be found. It is possible,liowever, that the fogus of the Romans, which ob-viously got its name from the edible quality of itsfniit, may have been either the Italian oak or thechesnut; or the phegos of the Greeks may have beenthe former, and that of the Romans the the beech be or be not a native of England,its introduction has been prior to the commence-ment of the written or traditionary history of Britishtrees. When shelt
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