BEECH, a small genus (Fagus) of hand some forest trees of the family Fagacece. The American beech (Fagus grandifolia), and the European or common beech (F. sylvatica), are closely similar. They often attain heights ex ceeding 80 feet, and diameters greater than three and one-half feet. The former has smooth, light-gray bark, a broad round head, and leaves which turn yellow before they fall in the autumn; the latter has dark-gray bark, and has shining leaves which persist during most of the winter. The tree scarcely bears fruit before the 50th year of its age, and then not every year. After the 140th year, the wood rings become thinner. The tree lives for about 250 years. Some stems are fluted, some even twisted. The roots stretch far away, near to the surface of the soil, partly above it. Young beeches are useful for live hedges, as they bear pruning, and as their branches coalesce by being tied together, or by rubbing each other. Ampu tations of limbs, and deep incisions in the tree, soon become obliterated by the bark. The dead leaves are often used by the poor of Europe for stuffing beds and pillows. Both species yield pleasant, edible, three-angled nuts, usually in pairs in prickly involucres. These nuts are eaten by swine, deer and poultry, and in France, and to some extent elsewhere, are pressed to extract a mild culinary long-keeping oil. Both species thrive in light, limy loams, upon which formations they often become the leading species of tree, covering large tracts. They do not grow in damp situations. Their reddish-brown, solid, hard but brittle wood makes excellent fuel, and is largely used for making tool handles where bending and twist ing are not expected. The wood is not dur
able in contact with soil, but since it is remark ably lasting when immersed in water, it is largely used in dams, water-mills, sluices, etc. The wood of the European species is preferred to that of all other species, except walnut, for making shoes (sabots), in France, since it is remarkably resistant to the entrance of water. The bark is sometimes used in tanning. Both species are used in ornamental planting on ac count of their symmetrical forms, the colors of their bark and foliage, which latter is remark ably free from the attacks of disease and insects. The European species has produced a large number of varieties, of which the copper or purple beech is probably the best known in America. F. sieboldii, a native of eastern Asia, is sometimes planted for ornament. F. betuloi des, a Terra del Fuegian species, is a striking feature of the winter landscape on account of its evergreen foliage. Its wood is used for flooring vessels, and is exported to the Falkland Islands and elsewhere for roofing. Blue or water beech, better kribiwn as American horn beam (Carpittus ametitelna), is a common tree in damp woods and along streams. It is not a member of this genus. See HORNBEAM.
From the wood of the beech an especially pure form of creosote is obtained that is largely employed in the treatment of chronic lung dis orders. See CREOSOTE.