CHAP. CV.

coryla'cete. j’a'gus.

1961

brittle than those of the walnut and of alder; but they have the propertyof not absorbing water, and surpass the sabots of all other wood, exceptonly those made of the walnut, which are, of course, much dearer, from thedemand for that wood for other purposes. The consumption of beech sabotsin the mountainous districts of France, according to Bose, is immense. “ Theyare made of wood which has been cut only a few months, and is, consequently,nearly green ; but which the manufacturers dry rapidly, with the smoke pro-duced by burning the chips which are formed in making the sabots. Thissmoke, containing a great deal of moisture, or steam, along with the heat, doesnot crack the sabots which are exposed to it; while the pyroligneous acidwhich is evolved (and which is produced in a greater quantity by the wood ofthe beech than by that of any other tree) penetrates the sabot, and rendersit not liable to be attacked by insects. The sabots so treated are always ofa brownish colour, the effect of this process. Bose suggests the idea of im-pregnating rafters and planks, to be used in house-building, with pyroligneousacid, by smoking them with the spray and chips of the beech, so as to in-crease their durability; an operation which is found to have that effect onthe rafters of all kinds of wood used in those cottages in Scotland and Irelandwhich are without ceilings. At St. E'tienne, in France, the wood of thebeech is used to make the handles to those cheap knives that are sold all overFrance at 2 sous a piece, and which are called Eustache Dubois, from thename of their inventor; but for this purpose the wood is hardened after it hasbeen formed into the handles, and attached to the blade, by being powerfullycompressed into a mould of steel, previously rendered almost red-hot. Thechips of beech wood are considered preferable to all others for clarifying wine.To render the wood of the beech more durable, and to prevent it from beingattacked by the worm, it is recommended by some authors to fell the treein the commencement of summer, while it is full of sap ; to allow it to re-main untouched one year; and afterwards to cut it up into planks or beams,and to immerse these for several months in water. The French allege that itis by these means that the English are enabled to use the beech so exten-sively in planking ships, and in forming their keels. It is difficult to reconcilethis recommendation to allow the tree to remain one year after it has beenfelled with what we before stated from Mathews (p. I960.), and which is, doubt-less, the result of his own experience; viz. that the timber of the beech soondecays, if it be not immediately dried, or immersed in water on its being cutdown. Baudrillart states that, in England, the beech, after being cut in thebeginning of summer, and suffered to lie a year, is sawn into planks, &c.; andthat these are submitted to the flame of the chips and faggot-wood of the tree,till the surface of the wood is somewhat charred; and that after this it is im-mersed in water for 4 or 5 months. The cabinet-makers, the same authorstates, prevent it from being attacked by worms, by varnishing it, or by keepingit for a certain time in boiling water, or in boiling oil. On enquiry in variousdirections, we have not been able to have the French reports of the Englishpractice confirmed; but we find that there is at present a very great demandfor beech, as sleepers or bearers for the rails of the numerous railways thatare now existing. The beech used in this way in England is Kyanized; butthe practice has not yet found its way into Scotland. In Hampshire, we areinformed by Mr. Davis, the beech is a good deal used for barn floors; and,where these are kept free from damp, by a thorough ventilation underneaththem, they are said to last many years.

As Fuel, the wood of the beech is superior to that of most other trees. Itis consumed to an immense extent for this purpose both in France and Ger-many ; but more especially in Paris, where there are more open fires than inany other Continental city. It is considered to burn rather rapidly; but itthrows out a great deal of heat, and makes a clear bright flame. The greenwood is generally preferred to that which is dry, because it burns slower,though it does not give out so much heat; and hence, in many places, the treeis frequently cut down in the summer season. According to the experiments