THE BIRCHES 



357 



uses are now being found for it. Among its principal 

 uses are furniture and interior finish. It is quite fre- 

 quently substituted for Cherry, and occasionally for 

 Hickory, and large quantities are made up in imitation 

 of Mahogany. 



The Black Birch grows rather slowly, but it may be 

 classified as one of our important forest trees. The de- 

 mand for the wood is annually becoming heavier, and 

 the supply is rapidly diminishing. It is well adapted for 

 planting in parks, and on home grounds, for in the open 

 it develops a wide symmetrical crown which is quite at- 

 tractive. 



The Red Birch is also called River Birch. This is an 

 appropriate common name, for the tree is usually found 

 along the banks of rivers and on the border of swamps. 

 Other common names are Water Birch, Blue Birch. 

 Black Birch and sometimes it is simply called Birch. The 

 name Red Birch refers to the color of the inner bark, 

 which is made visible by the peeling off of the bark. The 

 trunk of the tree and the larger branches are contin- 

 uously getting rid of their outer bark and in doing so 

 the outermost layers are rolled back, hang for a while, 

 and are then gradually broken loose by the wind. 



The inner bark, which is exposed in this process of 

 bark shedding, is distinctly red in color. The color, 



THE RIVER BIRCH IS CO.MTINUOU.SLY GETTING RID 

 OF IT.S OUTER BARK. THIS CASTING OFF OF THE 

 BARK UNCOVERS THE REDDISH INNER BARK, WHICH 

 IS ONE OF THE BEST DISTINGUISHING CHARACTER- 

 ISTICS OF THE TREE 



Photograph by courtesy U. S. Forest Service 



CLUMP OF PAPER BIRCHES ON THE SAND AT JUNIPER 

 BEACH, MICHIGAN 



however, varies considerably, sometimes suggesting the 

 tint of old brass, and again it may be brownish in color. 

 The name "Black Birch" is not appropriate for this tree, 

 for the bark is not black, excepting near the ground on 

 real old trunks. This tree clings as closely to water 

 courses and other wet places as the Sycamore, and conse- 

 quently both the names River Birch and Water Birch 

 are quite appropriate. 



The range of the River Birch is less extensive than 

 that of the other important birches of the eastern United 

 States. It is, however, by no means limited for it occurs 

 as far north as Massachusetts, extends west to Minne- 

 sota, and is found southward along the coast to Florida 

 and west to Texas. It occurs on an area of nearly 

 1,000,000 square miles, but it cannot be said that it is 

 abundant everywhere within this area. There are thou- 

 sands of square miles within the limits of its range upon 

 which not a single tree may occur, while in other places, 

 especially along streams and about ponds, it is very com- 



