ALDER TREE. 9 



&c. The roots and knots furnish a beautiful veined wood 

 to the cabinet-maker. Alder-wood is generally red ; but 

 when it has lain in bogs, it becomes black. In the High- 

 lands, chairs are made of it, which are very handsome. 



The branches make good charcoal, and the bark is 

 used by tanners and leather-dressers. Mr. Hall says, 

 that the country-people of Scotland often make their own 

 shoes ; and, following the example of their forefathers, to 

 avoid the tax upon leather, privately tan hides with the 

 bark of birch and alder *. 



The bark of Alder is also used by fishermen for their 

 nets; and the fresh wood and the young shoots, ac- 

 cording to the season in which they are taken, and the 

 manner in which they are prepared, furnish dye of various 

 colours : the young shoots dye yellow, and with a little 

 copperas, a yellowish-gray ; when cut in March, they 

 give a cinnamon colour ; if dried and powdered, a fine 

 tawny. The fresh wood dyes a rappee-snuff colour, the 

 catkins, green ; and the bark dried, powdered, and mixed 

 with logwood, bismuth, &c., yields the colour called bouc 

 de Paris. It is said that the Laplanders masticate the 

 bark, and, with the saliva so coloured, stain their leathern 

 garments red. 



The Alder makes good hedges in boggy ground, im- 

 proves the soil, and tends to keep up the banks: the 

 shade does not injure the growth of grass ; some say that 

 it cherishes it : 



" The Alder, whose fat shadow nourisheth ; 

 Each plant set neere to him long flourisheth." 



W. BROWNE. 



* Hall's Travels in Scotland, vol. ii. p. 401. 



