Since in large trees the flow of sap usually starts later 

 than in small ones, the period in which good bark is 

 obtainable may extend into late June in some 

 localities. Upon exposure to air and moisture, 

 the inner rind first turns orange-red and gradually 

 darkens with age until in a few years it becomes dark 

 brown, or sepia. If it is first moistened, the rind can 

 be scraped off, and this allowed it to be employed in 

 decoration, enough being left to form designs. 

 Hence winter bark was prized. 



To the eastern Indians "summer bark" was a poor 

 grade that readily separated into its paper-like 

 layers, a characteristic of bark peeled in hot weather, 

 or of poorly made bark in any season. In the west, 

 however, high-quality bark was often scarce and, 

 therefore, the distinction between winter and summer 

 bark does not seem to have been made. Newfound- 

 land once had excellent canoe bark, as did the 

 Maritime Provinces, Maine, New Hampshire, and 

 Quebec, but the best bark was found back from the 

 seacoast. Ontario and the country to the immediate 

 north of Lake Superior are also said to have produced 

 bark of high quality for canoe building. 



The bark of the paper birch was preferred for canoe 

 building because it could be obtained in quite large 

 sheets clear of serious blemishes; because its grain 

 ran around the tree rather than along the line of 

 vertical tree growth, so that sheets could be "sewn" 

 together to obtain length in a canoe; and because the 

 bark was resinous and not only did not stretch and 

 shrink as did other barks, but also had some elasticity 

 when green, or when kept damp. This elasticity, 

 of course, was lost once the bark was allowed to 

 become dry through exposure to air and sunshine, 

 a factor which controlled to some extent the technique 

 of its employment. 



Many other barks were employed in bark canoe 

 construction, but in most instances the craft were for 

 temporary or emergency use and were discarded after 

 a short time. Such barks as spruce (Picea), elm 

 (Ulmus), chestnut (Caslmea dentata L.), hickory 

 (Carya spp.), basswood {Tilia spp.), and Cottonwood 

 {Populus spp.) are said to have been used in bark canoe 

 construction in some parts of North America. Birches 

 other than the paper birch could be used, but most 

 of them produced bark that was thin and otherwise 

 poor, and was considered unsuitable for the better 

 types of canoes. Barks other than birch usually 

 had rough surfaces that had to be scraped away, in 

 order to make the material flexible enough for canoe 

 construction. Spruce bark had some of the good 



OjiBWAY Indian carrying spruce roots, Lac 

 Seul, Ont., 1919. {Canadian Geological Survey 

 bhoto.) 



qualities of the paper birch bark, but to a far less 

 degree, and was considered at best a mere substitute. 

 Non-resinous barks, because of their structure could 

 not be joined together to gain length, and their 

 characteristic shrinkage and swelling made it virtually 

 impossible to keep them attached to a solid framework 

 for any great length of time. 



The material used for "sewing" together pieces of 

 birch bark was most commonly the root of the black 

 spruce {Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.), which grows in 

 much of the area where the paper birch exists. The 

 root of this particular spruce is long but of small 

 diameter; it is tough, durable, and flexible enough 

 for the purpose. The tree usually grows in soft, 

 moist ground, so that the long roots are commonly 

 very close to the surface, where they could easily be 



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