92 



RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



flowers are in short, erect, cone-like catkins, 

 formed of stift', three-lobed scales contain- 

 ing three winged seeds each, which fall out 

 in autumn. 



The wood of this birch is light in color, 

 with a yellowish tinge. As fuel, if well sea- 

 soned, it ranks high, next to rock-maple. 

 It is an important market wood from the 

 Northern New England States, Like the 

 wood of the birches generally, its value is 

 lessened for timber by its lack of durability 

 when exposed to alternate moisture and dr}-- 

 ness ; but for turners' uses, for lasts, and 

 some other purposes it is in constant de- 

 mand. The tree roots very freely, the bulg- 

 ing from the body of the main branches be 

 ing prominent and often fantastic. In rocky 

 situations, the roots frequently over-run a 

 boulder or fragment of a broken ledge, 

 clasping it with a Titan's grip. 



In regions where the soil and climate is 

 best adapted to this tree, it frequently occu- 

 pies the ground almost exclusively. This is 

 particularly true in belts upon high hill-sides 

 and the middle portions of mountain slopes, 

 between the belts of maple and ash and 

 those of the red oak and the spruce and fir 

 balsam. A marked example may be seen 

 upon the southern slope of the Monadnock 

 Mountain, N. H., in ascending the path 

 from the Mountain House to the summit. 



I think the tree would thrive well in most 

 parts of Rhode Island ; at any rate, it de- 

 serves the attention of those interested in 

 the trees adapted to local growth. 



The Red Birch. — Betula nigra. 



The Red Birch, B. nigra., is reported to be 

 found in one or two localities in the north- 

 western part of this state. It grows, natu- 

 rally, by streams of water, usually bending 

 over the brink. It is easil}' identified by its 

 reddish, ragged bark, hanging from the 

 trunk and larger limbs in long, loose flakes, 

 an inch or two wide. It grows quite large 

 with considerable spread. It grows quite 

 abundantl}' from New Jersey south to 

 Georgia. 



The Caxoe Birch. — Behda x>opyracce. 



The Canoe Birch, B. iKipyracm., is merely 

 local in Rhode Island. It is found in con- 

 siderable numbers upon the Diamond Hill 

 range, near the Massachusetts line, but is 

 rarely met with elsewhere in this state. It 



is a tree of more northern growth. In 

 Northern New England and Canada it reaches 

 lofty proportions. The bark of larger trees 

 furnished the material for the canoes of the 

 Indians. The trunks are tall, straight, and 

 beautifully white. It has properly been 

 named tlie "Lady of the Forest." The 

 leaves are quite broad, dark-green, and 

 coarselj' serrate. The wood is white, fine 

 grained, and valuable for the turner's use. 



The White Birch. — Betula populifoUa. 



The White Birch, or Little Gray Birch, B. 

 popuU folia, is common in Rhode Island. 

 It will grow in mere sand or gravel, hence, 

 is often associated with povert}'. It grows 

 rapidly, and springs readilj' from the stump 

 when the tree is cut. It takes usually a cyl- 

 indrical form, tapering sharply at the top. 

 When a half dozen or more sprouts grow 

 from a single stump, their combination forms 

 a wide spreading, symmetrical group of 

 much grace and beauty. The limbs are 

 ver}' numerous, the spray being fine and 

 delicate. The whole tree is very elastic. 

 Covered with ice, as they often are in winter, 

 the}' form objects of beautj' unequaled in 

 art. The leaves are very shining and par- 

 ticularly noticeable for their long pointed 

 tips. Their footstalks are long and slender 

 causing them to quiver in the wind like 

 those of the aspen poplar. The impervious, 

 resinous bark causes the wood to decay 

 when the tree is cut down, unless it is split 

 or deprived of its bark for seasoning. The 

 tree is small in comparison with most others of 

 its genus, but sometimes attains a height of 

 fovty feet with a diameter of a foot in the 

 bod3\ Considering the rapid growth of the 

 tree and the fact that it will flourish upon 

 the poorest ground, it is not to be despised. 



With respect to their bark, our birches 

 may be distinguished as follows : 



Black Birch. — Bark black, peels off" with 

 difficulty ; scaly on old trunks. 



Yellow Birch. — Bark 3'ellow, silky or me- 

 tallic luster ; adhering closely, excepting 

 thin, loose, stringy flakes. 



Red Birch. — Bark reddish or copper, very 

 loose, thin plates looking exceedingly rag- 

 ged. 



Canoe Birch. — Bark white, chalk}' ; 

 easily peeled, veiy resinous. 



White or Gray Birch. — Bark grayish- 

 white, containing numerous knots, highly 

 resinous. 



