THE BIRCHES. 87 



ornamental trees with which to decorate parks and 

 private grounds. Its long, thin branches as they ex- 

 tend outward from the white trunk droop in many a 

 subtile curve ; the ends are divided into an infinite 

 number of dark -brown, wiry branchlets from which 

 depend the beautifully formed leaves. These are 

 somewhat triangular in shape, taper to a sharp point, 

 and are bright, shiny green ; in fact, no other tree 

 possesses so brilliant a leaf. In spring the tree is 

 bright yellow-green, and furnishes a striking contrast 

 with any evergreen w T hich may happen to be in its 

 vicinity. 



The extreme lightness and airiness which charac- 

 terize this birch are the qualifications which assist one 

 most in its identification. If, for instance, I see in 

 the distance a small tree with white trunk, thin, light 

 yellow-green foliage, and dark, wiry branches dis- 

 posed to droop (the topmost ones are decidedly 

 vertical), I know pretty well by experience that 

 no other native tree except the gray birch answers 

 to that description; in a park it might possibly be 

 confused with its foreign relations, but in the for- 

 est it is unique. Unfortunately, the beauty of the 

 gray birch never shows itself to advantage in its na- 

 tive environment ; in the struggle for existence among 

 its crowded neighbors, much of its femininity and 

 daintiness is completely lost; its symmetry is im- 



