THE HORNBEAMS Two genera of little trees in the same family with the birches are frequently met in the woods, often modestly hiding under the larger trees. One is the solitary repre sentative of its genus: the other has a sister species.
The hornbeams grow very slowly and their wood is close grained, heavy, and hard. In flexibility, strength, and ability to stand strain, it rivals steel. Before metals so generally became competitors of woods in construction work, hornbeam was the only wood for rake teeth, levers, mallets, and especially for the beams of ox yokes. It out
wore the stoutest oak, the toughest elm. Springiness adapted it for fork handles and the like. Bowls and dishes of hornbeam lasted forever, and would never leak nor crack. "Ironwood" is the name used wherever the wood was worked.