1970

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART HI.

the row. If the rows are 6 ft. asunder, the plantation will form a very suitablecoppice for cutting every seventh year; or, if every tenth plant be permitted tobecome a timber tree, the result will be a beech wood, with ample spacesbetween the trees for the growth of coppice.

Felling the Beech for Timber, the successional Trees, fyc. As full-growntrees do not stole, they are generally taken up by the roots. The usual seasonis winter; though some French authors assert that the English practice is tofell beech trees in the beginning of summer, when the sap is in full motion.In Buckinghamshire, beech woods have been succeeded by beech woods fromtime immemorial; the mast which has dropped from the trees springing up,and supplying the place of those that are removed. In artificial culture, how-ever, a different natural order of trees, it would seem, ought to be made tosucceed the beech; though, on very thin soils on chalk, it would be difficult, ifnot impossible, to name a tree that would produce an equal bulk of timber inthe same number of years, independently altogether of the value of its timber.It is certain, that none of the poplars, beeches, or willows, would do this; norwill any of the pines or firs thrive where the subsoil is chalk. Where, how-ever, the soil is deeper than it is in Buckinghamshire, the theory of a succes-sion of a timber crop may, perhaps, be advantageously carried into execution ;but the beech, on a thin surface of vegetable soil on chalk, seems to be anexception : or, perhaps, several crops may be taken on such soils, and, con-sequently, several generations elapse, before a change of crop is required.

Accidents, Diseases, S;c. The full-grown beech, from the acuteness of theangle which the branches form with the trunk, presents, as we have alreadymentioned (p. 1954.), less leverage to the wind than the branches of manyother trees, and is, consequently, liable to few accidents from storms. Largedetached trees, when of a great age, are, like all others under similar circum-stances, liable to be blown down; but, in general, few trees are seen moreperfect in their form than the beech. It is subject to few diseases, unless weexcept that tufted appearance named Erfneum /agfneum Pers., Grev. Crypt.,t. 250., which is sometimes found on the leaves, and which some botanists con-sider to be a fungus; but which the Rev. M. J. Berkeley considers a diseaseproduced by a surorganisation of the cellular tissue. The trunk and branchesof the beech are subject to nodosities, seldom above 1 in. or 2 in. in diameter,but which sometimes are much larger. These are probably originated by thepuncture of some insect, and are to the wood of the beech what the galls ofthe oak are to the leaves of that tree. The branches from their number,proximity, and liability to cross each other, may occasionally be found inos-culated ; and a remarkable example of this occurs in a wood called West Hay,between Cliff and Stamford, belonging to the Marquess of Exeter. We areindebted, for a knowledge of this tree, to the kindness of the Rev. M. J.Berkeley; and to Mrs. Berkeley for the very beautiful and accurate drawingsfrom which figs. 1881. and 1884. are engraved. Fig. 1881. is to our usualscale for full-grown trees of 1 in. to 12 ft.; and fig. 1884. in p. 1972., whichshows a portion of the trunk, is to a scale of 2 ft. 6 in. to 1 in.

The only quadrupeds that we are aware of, that do much injury to the beech,are deer and cattle pasturing round them, which, however, as before observed,crop their branches much less than they do those of most other trees; andthe squirrel, which, however, is most injurious to young beech trees, by feedingon the inner bark. These animals appear to prefer the bark on the lowerpart of the tree, as, indeed, do rats, mice, and most animals that gnaw throughstems of young trees. The squirrel, however, when pressed for food, willattack both the beech and hornbeam, when the trees are of considerable size,stripping off the outer bark in pieces of from 3 in. to 6 in. in length ; and thenfeeding on the inner bark and the soft wood. It has been found that coatingthe stems of trees for 5 ft. or 6 ft. in height, with a mixture of tar and grease,will deter the squirrels from attacking them.

Insects. Comparatively few insects attack the beech, and those which dochiefly belong to the order Lepidoptera, and are in the caterpillar state. Of thesethe following are the most interesting species : — Stauropus fagi (the lobster),