1886.] THE BIRCH. 565 



THE BIRCH. 



COLERIDGE calls the birch, our British species {Bdulci alba), 

 the " Lady of the Woods." That the poet's name for this 

 beautiful tree is very apt, all will allow when it is applied to the 

 more graceful weeping forms. Anything more refined and beauti- 

 ful than a well-developed specimen of the silver weeping birch 

 cannot be found among British trees. But it is also a most 

 useful tree, being applied to many economical purposes, as well as 

 having a high repute for some of the more refined ol)jects of life. 

 It is further one of the most hardy trees known, has the widest 

 geographical range of any of our forest trees, extending from Lapland 

 to the sub-alpine districts of Italy and Northern Asia. In the 

 southern latitudes it always climbs to near the line of perpetual snow. 



Having such a widespread range of climatal and soil influence, 

 it is, as may always be expected in such trees, somewhat variable 

 in character. It has produced some striking varieties which are 

 amongst the best appreciated of our ornamental deciduous trees. 

 By far the most elegant, however, is the variety known as B. alba 

 pendula, the true silver weeping birch, which is only obtainable 

 with any degree of certainty by grafting or budding it on the 

 common birch. It does not freely or with certainty reproduce 

 itself from seed, although it is occasionally produced in that way. 

 Another very remarkable and distinct variety for ornamental 

 planting is the recently introduced purple-leaved weeping birch {B. 

 alba ^purpurea), which has leaves of a black purple tint and an 

 elegant habit, although scarcely equal to the true weeping form in 

 that respect. It must also be produced by means of grafting or 

 budding, as it does not reproduce itself from seed. 



The hardy nature of the tree, and its accommodating character 

 as regards soil and situation, render it one of the most easy sub- 

 jects to establish in forest planting. In good well-drained yet 

 naturally moist land it grows most rapidly, but it makes more 

 satisfactory progress in what may be called unfavourable positions 

 for tree growth than any other of our hardy forest trees. It is 

 essentially a tree for northern or high latitudes, and although 

 commercially of comparatively little value in the milder parts of 

 Europe and Asia, it is of the utmost importance to our own High- 

 landers and Islanders of the far north. In many parts it is in 

 fact the only available timber for all purposes from the building of 

 their houses to the furnishing of the same. The implements of 

 industry and domestic utensils, such as carts, barrows, spades, 

 boats, spoons, bowls, pails, ladles, platters, are all made of birch 



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