280 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



to live on it they rapidly lose strength. It appeases hunger 

 but does not repair the waste of the body. 



The native tree bark most pleasing to the taste is 

 that of sweet birch (Rctula Unto), which is one of the 

 birches whose woods contribute lumber for doors, furni- 

 ture, and interior house finish. The tree ranges from 

 Newfoundland to Minnesota, and southward along the 

 Appalachian Mountains to Georgia and westward to Illi- 

 nois and central Tennessee. This is the birch from which 

 the "oil of wintergreen" is usually made by the distilla- 

 tion of the wood and bark of small trees. 



Early in summer the new growth beneath the bark 

 is of considerable thickness and is rich and starchy, with 

 a pleasant taste. Trunks may then be peeled and the 

 edible portion may be scraped from the underside of the 

 bark. It needs no cooking or other preparation but is 

 eaten raw, and hunger is satisfied. It is at its best only 

 during a few weeks in early summer. After that, the 

 edible portion becomes woody. 



The food value of birch bark seems to be well es- 

 tablished, but it is not known how long it is capable of 

 sustaining human life in the absence of all other food. 

 During the Civil War it was, on one occasion, put to a 

 severe test. It was during the campaign in what is 

 now West Virginia by Gen. McClellan in 1861. At the 

 battle of Carracks' ford, where the town of Parsons now 

 stands, several companies of Confederate troops from 

 Georgia were cut off from the rear of Gen. Garnett's 

 retreating army, and fled into uninhabited mountains. 

 Several hundred of these soldiers, who were already in 

 a famishing condition, escaped through a pathless wilder- 

 ness, across Tucker, Randolph, Pendleton, and Highland 

 Counties, with practically nothing to eat except birch 

 bark. It was in early summer. Not a man starved to 

 death during the long retreat through the forest. Many 

 years afterwards the writer of this was able to follow 

 the route of the retreat by noting the peeled trunks of 

 birch trees from which the soldiers had secured the bark 

 for food. 



CORRESPONDENCE COURSE IN LUMBERING 



THE correspondence course in lumbering which is 

 being offered by the State College of Forestry at 

 Syracuse through its forest extension service is 

 attracting wide attention in New York State. Already a 

 number of men have enrolled, and it is believed that this 

 taking of instruction out into the State to those who are 

 handling or using lumber and other products of the forest 

 will mean much in developing more extensive utilization 

 of forest products now wasted. The course is open to 

 any man or woman in the State, and one may enroll at 

 any time. 



GEORGE WASHINGTON PROFILE. 



THE Natural Bridge of Virginia was one of the 

 earliest discovered natural curiosities of America, 

 but it was only a few years ago that in the apera- 

 ture beneath the bridge there was seen to be a huge, 

 distinct profile, assuredly the head of George Washing- 



ton. At least the profile is that of a man and moreover 

 it is that of a patrician with a prominent, slightly aquiline 

 nose and good forehead. It will be seen by examination 

 of the photograph that the nose and mouth are formed 

 by the projection of small bushes from the side of the 

 bridge and it may be considered quite probable that prior 



Photograph by Dr. Charles D. Walcott. 



PROFILE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON 



Natural rock heads and faces are not uncommon, but a profile due to 

 the absence of rocks is unusual. This is looking through the gorge 

 of the Natural Bridge of Virginia, and the profile is that of George 

 Washington. The nose and mouth are outlined by the bushes. 



to the signing of the Declaration of Independence the 

 verdure of this side of the gorge grew in such a manner 

 as to cause the face to have no resemblance whatever to 

 the Father of his Country. But few people know of this 

 profile today, and of those who do, some have tried in 

 vain to get into proper position to show it up for photo- 

 graphing. The present photograph was taken by Dr. 

 Charles D. Walcott, when Director of the United States 

 Geological Survey. 



