Domestic Encyclopædia (1802)/Beech-nut

BEECH-NUT or, as it is more generally called, Beech-Mast, is the seed or fruit of the beech-tree, and is recommended for feeding and fattening hogs. These animals may be secured from the gargut, by moistening some pease or beans with water, sprinkling them with powdered antimony, and repeating this medicine every other day, for a fortnight. The same precaution should be used when hogs are fed upon acorns. In Hertfordshire, where beech trees grow spontaneously, swine are kept upon the mast only, and turned out about the middle of October, or sometimes sooner. On this food they thrive very fast, and generally afford fine meat. When a hog is intended to be killed for pickling, it should be previously taken home for a month, or five weeks, and fed with pollard, barley meal, or pease. It has, however, been remarked, that the flesh of swine fed upon beech-mast, is of too soft a nature, and easily boils away.

When these nuts are eaten by the human species, they occasion giddiness and head-ach; but after being well dried and ground, they have been found to make wholesame bread: they have also occasionally been roasted, and used as a substitute for coffee.