BEECH. The common beech, known in America as the white beech, is the most useful species of this valuable tree. The timber is hard, and is employed for a great variety of purposes. It is used for the keels and side planking of ships ; for ringing mill-wheels ; for making piles, weirs, sluices, flood-gates, and other constructions exposed to the action of water ; for cogs of wooden wheels ; for making bedsteads and chairs ; for panels of carriages : for various articles in joinery, cabinet-making, and turnery ; for numberless small articles of household furniture ; for rail way-sleepers ; for barn-floors ; for herring barrels ; for wooden shovels and peels ; for wooden screws and sieves. In Germany beech-wood is used for many of tire purposes above-named ; and also for gun-carriages, wheel-felloes, bowls, porringers, salt boxes, spindles, rollers, spinning - wheels, pestles, presses, bellows, and numerous other articles ; while, sawn into thin boards, it is used for boxes, packing cases, sword scabbards, and even the boards of books (instead of mill beard). In France, besides other purposes,
beech 'is used for gun-stocks, plough socks, cricket bats, cheap knife-handles, and cheap sabots or wooden shoes.
Beech is used to an enormous extent in France and Germany for fuel. The bark is used in tanning. The dried leaves are said to form an excellent substitute for feathers in beds, and to be largely employed in such a way in some districti: The dried catkins of the leaves are used to stuff cushions. The mast or fruit is eaten by many animals ; and from this fruit an oil useful for lamps and for cooking is obtained. A Beech-Oil Company was one of the most noted commercial speed lations of Queen Anne's reign.