26 THE WOODS OF NEW BRUNSWICK. 
1. AMERICAN wHiITE BIRCH (Betula alba, var. populifolia, Spach.). 
The White Birch, or Little Grey Birch as it is sometimes called, 
is a very common tree in New Brunswick, especially near the 
coast and on the poorer class of soils, such as occur over ex- 
tensive tracts occupied by the rocks of the coal-measures. It 
is usually found in large groves associated with spruce, pine, or 
other soft-wood trees, and under favourable circumstances attains 
a height of 30 to 40 feet. The wood of the white birch is easily 
worked, and when well seasoned, light and strong; and is not 
liable to crack, split, or warp. 
2. THE PAPER BIRCH (Letula papyracea, Ait.). 
The Paper Birch, like the White Birch, which it nearly resembles, 
is found in all parts of New Brunswick, but usually in soils some- 
what more fertile than those covered by its relative. It is said 
especially to favour gravelly soils and the slopes and bottoms of 
valleys covered with large and moss-grown rocks. 
There are many thousands of acres on the head waters of the 
Miramichi, and on the heads of streams emptying into the Tobique 
in the same vicinity, which are covered with forests of this wood, 
where it grows to a large size, sometimes attaining a diameter of 
2 feet and a height of 40. It is usually sound and free from rot. 
There is abundance of small trees growing here also, which are 
white hearted and suitable for the manufacture of spools or thread 
reels. One Maine factory turns out 100,000 gross of spools per 
day, and consumes 2500 cords of birch annually. 
3. THE YELLOW BIRCH (Betula excelsa, Ait.). 
This is one of the larger, and therefore, more valuable of the 
birches ; its straight and nearly uniform trunk attaining at times 
a height of 70, and a diameter of 2 or more, feet. It is a very 
common tree in New Brunswick, growing usually on rich, soft, and 
moist lands in company with spruce and ash, and besides being 
extensively employed for many domestic uses, and for shipbuild- 
ing, forms with the black birch an important article of export. 
This tree is found abundantly on the lands of the New Brunswick 
Land and Lumber Company, both on the Miramichi and St John 
rivers. 
It attains its greatest size on the fertile lands of the Upper 
