1711- AKBOinVIL'M AND KRUTICl'.TUM. l'y\ III" 1 1 1 . 



takes ;i brilliant polish. The union of these properties renders the wood 

 superior to that of all the other Aineritaii birciu's. In Massachusetts Counec- 

 tieut, anil N'jw York, the wood of this birch is next in esteem to that of 

 the wild clierry (C'erasus virginiana). Table-, bedsteads, arm-chairs, sofas, 

 coach panels, siioe-lasts, anil a i;reat many other articles, are made of if. 

 Hunter, in his notes to Evelyn's Si/lva, vol. i. p. -.^1!)., says that the sap of this 

 tree is used bv the inhabitants of Kamtschatka without previous fermentation ; 

 and that the natives strip ofl'the bark when it is green, cut it into long narrow 

 strip.s, like vermicelli, and, after dryini: it, stew it with their caviare. Michaux 

 strongly reconnnends the tree for cultivation, on a large scale, in the north 

 of France, in Englami, and in (iermany ; and to the lovers of curious trees, 

 " as eminently adapted, from the beauty of its foliage and the agreeable oilour 

 of its Howers, to figure in their parks and gardens." Though cultivated by 

 Miller as early as 175!), it has never been niucii introduced into plantations, 

 either useful or ornamental. In the year 18ly, it was reconnnended by -a com- 

 mittee of the Caledonian Horticultural Society, as likely to prove a better tree 

 than the common birch for the moist and deep soils of the Highland valleys 

 of Scotland ; but we have never heard of any of this, or of any other Ame- 

 rican species of birch being tried there. One rea.son may be the high ()rice 

 of these plants in the nurseries, which arises solely from the want of demand, 

 as all the species are just as easily raised from seed as the connnon birch. 

 As these seeds are jjrocurable at very low |)rices, we repeat our reconunenda- 

 tion to private gentlemen to purchase them, and to raise plants in their 

 own nurseries. There are [)lants of this birch at Messrs. Loddigcs's; and 

 there is a considerable tree of it at Syon, which ripens abundance of seeds 

 yearly. In Ireland, at Oriel Temple, .jO years planteil, it is .02 ft. high; di- 

 ameter of the trunk 1 ft, 9 in., and of the head +2 ft. Plants, in the London 

 nurseries, are from l.v. to \s. Qd. each ; and seeds arc Iv. per quart. At New 

 York, plants are \2 cents each; and seeds (JO cents per pound, .'JO cents per 

 quart, and .> dollars per bushel. 



App. i. Species of Birch not yet introduced. 



In Uoyle's Illiiitrntioii.t, sovcv.il species of bircli are mentioned as occupying the loftiest st.itions in 

 the mountains of Nepal, and other parts of tlie Himalayas, " as miRht be exported," he adds, " from 

 this penus extending to tlie highest latitudes." IS. lUidJiiultra Wall., the mo*t useful and most gene- 

 rally known species, is found on (iossainthan, in Kamaon, or t'lioor, and in Kodarl<anta. li. nitida 

 and /A rylindrostachya occur with tli.> former in Kamaon ; the latter extending also to .Manma and 

 Uhunoultec. .B. resinffera /^;^/l•, eontined to Kunawar, with catkins resembling those of /i. ICUea 

 ilichi., has leaves something like thuse of i?. papyrifera. {lllust., &c., p. .'>44.) Dr. Lindley has 

 described four of these species in the I'cnni/ Cycloptedia ; and, as they .ire likely to prove hardy, and 

 will probably soon be introduced, wc give the following descriptions from that work, and from the 

 work of Dr. Wallich : — 



B. Bhojp'ittra U'all. The Indian Paper Birch. Leaves oblong.acute, with nearly simple sernitures, 

 somewhat heart-shaped at the base ; their stalks, veins, and twigs hairy. Female catkins erect, cylin- 

 drical, oblong. Br.icteas smooth, woody, two-parted, blunt, much longer than the fruit, which has 

 narrow wings. A tree, found on tlio alps of Gurwal, in Kamaon, where its thin delicate b.ark fur- 

 nishes the masses of flexible laniinated inalter, of which great quantities are brought down into the 

 plains of India, for lining the tubes of hookahs ; and which is used l)y the mountaineers, instead of 

 paper, for writing upon. The Sanscrit name of the substance is Ijoorjee ; a word which Mr. Ciraves 

 Ilaughton considers the root of birch ; and one of many proofs that the .S.axen part of the Knglish 

 language is descended Iroui the Sanscrit. {Wall. Plant, .is. liar., vol. ii. p. 7.) The bark of this 

 species is of a pale cinnamon colour. It is nearly allied to Ii. papyricca. It would form a beautiful 

 tree in this country. 



B. acuminata Wall, has leaves ovate lanceolate, sharply serrated, taper-pointed, smooth, dotted 

 lienealh: leaf-staiks and twigs quite smooth ; r\\^e catkins very long, pendulous, cylindrical, crowded: 

 the rachis, and the bracteas, which are aunclcd at the base, downy. Found on many of the moun- 

 tains of Nepal, and in the great valley of th.it country, following the course of rivers. The flowers 

 and fruit are produced from Uecembi'r to .\prd. It forms a very large .and noble tree, from ."jDft. to 

 9) ft. high, of an oval shape, being covered with branches from its base. The wood is stated by Or. 

 Wallich to be greatly esteemed by the inhabitants, who employ it for all sorts of purposes where 

 strength and durability are required. " Prof Lindley thinks th.it B. dlniildes {Don's Proil. AV/i., 

 p. .')«.) refers to this variety." (HW/. P/. As. Rar., t 109.) 



li. nitida. Toe shining Birch. Leaves obloni;, taper-pointed, with fine double serraturcs, the twigs 

 and leaf-staiks hairy. Female catkins pendulous, cylindrical, crowded. Br.act» thrce-lobed, hairy, 

 with the lengthened middle lobe longer than the fruit. A tree, found in Kamaon. 



B. cylindroilhchi/a h.is leaves oblong, taper-j>ointcd, heart-shaped, with fine double serraturcs ; 

 twigs, leaf-stalks, iind veins downy ; female citkins pendulous, \ cry long, cylindrical ; fruit deeply 

 t.io-lobed; bracts linear.lanceolate, tilunt, membranous, with two teeth at the base, fringed with 

 hair*. A tree, found in Kamaon. 



