CHAP. CV.

COItYLA CETE. FAGUS.

1955

1878

4 $®

into each other, and, as it were, inosculate; and hence, according to sonic, itwas this tree that gave the first idea of grafting. A curious example will befound under the head of Accidents and Diseases.

Geography. The common heech is a native of the temperate parts ofEurope, from the south of Norway to the Mediterranean Sea, and fromEngland to Constantinople. It is also found in Palestine, Asia Minor,Armenia, and Mazanderan. In Norway, it is found as far north as 59°, infavourable situations; and, in Sweden, to 58°. According to Pallas, it isplentiful in the southern provinces of Russia, and in Caucasus ; but it is notcommon in the plains; and it is nowhere to be found in the northern pro-vinces. It abounds in the forests of Poland, and in Lithuania. The line ofbeeches on the Alps rises to the elevation of 5132 ft., between lat. 45^° and46J°; the snow line being 3848 ft. higher. (Von Such, as quoted by II. C.Watson.) In Switzerland, the beech occupies the south sides of the moun-tains, where it rises as high as the Faecinium Fitis idas'a, and where the silverfir clothes the north side. (Nat. Hist. Jordt., vol. i. p. 9.) In France, it isfound on the sloping sides of mountains, and on calcareous hills ; but almostalways on the south side. According to some, the European beech is also anative of America, where it is known under the name of the white beech; but,as we are inclined to doubt whether this may not be something different fromthe European beech, we have treated it as a variety, and given its geography,when speaking of it, as such. (See p. 1953.) In Great Britain, the beech isfound in forests, supposed to be indigenous, in various parts of the central dis-

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