IMPORTANT FOREST TREES AND THEIR USES 45 



ripen in the autumn, are sweet, delicious and 

 much in demand. 



Our native elm tree is stately, reaching a 

 height of 100 feet and a diameter of 5 to 6 feet or 

 more. It is one of our best shade trees. Elm 

 wood is light brown in color and very heavy and 

 strong. It is the best available wood for making 

 wagon wheel hubs and is also used largely for 

 baskets and barrels. The rims of bicycle wheels 

 generally are made of elm. 



The canoe birch is a tree which was treasured 

 by the early Indians because it yielded bark for 

 making canoes. Birch wood is used in making 

 shoe lasts and pegs because of its strength and 

 light weight, and the millions of spools on which 

 cotton is wound are made of birch wood. 

 School desks and church furniture, also, are 

 made of birch. The orange-colored inner bark 

 of the birch tree is so fine and delicate 

 that the early settlers could use it as they would 

 paper. No matter whether birch wood is green 

 or dry, it will burn readily. The birch was the 

 most useful tree of the forest to the Indians. 

 Its bark was used not only for making their 

 canoes, but also for building their wigwams. 



