66 



STl'DIES OK TK'EES 



Commercial value : 

 The wood is soft and 

 not durable. It is used 

 in the manufacture of 

 small articles and for 

 wood ])ulp. 



Other characters : 

 The fruit is a catkin. 



Comparisons : The 

 paper birch {Betula 

 papyrijera) is apt to 

 be confused with the 

 gray birch, because 

 both have a white 

 bark. The l)ark of the 

 paper birch, however, 

 is a clear white and 

 peels off in thin papery 

 layers instead of being 

 close. It very seldom 

 shows any dark tri- 

 angular markings on 

 the trunk. Its terminal 

 twigs are not rough 

 and its trunk is usually 

 straighter and freer 

 from branches. 



The black or sweet 

 birch {Betula lento) has 

 a bark similar to the 

 gray birch, except that 

 its color is dark gray. See Fig. 51. The twigs have an 

 aromatic taste. 



Fig. 53.— Buds of the Beech Tree. 



