BIRCH. 



of this tree is performed in the same manner 

 as in the ash. If planted for underwood, it 

 should be tVlled before March to prevent its 

 bleeding. The tree bears removing wiih 

 safety, after it has attained the height of six 

 or seven feet; and is ready to plash as hedges j 

 in four years after planting. When old they ! 

 are transplanted with considerable difficulty. | 



The other European birches are the weep- j 

 ing birch (bctula pendula}, which is very com- 

 mon in different parts of Europe, along with ] 

 the last, in the properties of which it appears 

 to participate, and with which it is often im- 

 properly confounded. It differs from the com- 

 mon birch not only in its weeping habit, but 

 also in its young shoots being quite smooth, 

 bright chestnut brown when ripe, and then 

 covered with little white Avarts. The Betula 

 pontica of the nurseries is a slight variety, of 

 a less drooping habit. 



The. 1 third species is the downy birch (Be- 

 tula pnbtscens}, a smaller species than the first, 

 found in the bogs of Germany ; a variety of it 

 is calleil Hr( ula urticifnlin in gardens. 



The fourth and last European species is the 

 dwarf birch (Bttula nuna}, a small bush found 

 in Lapland and the mountainous parts of other 

 northern countries. To the people of the south 

 this plant has no value, but to the Laplanders 

 it ali>rds a large part of their fuel, and its 

 win^'d fruits are reported to be the favourite 

 food of the ptarmigan. The Asiatic species 

 are the Indian paper birch (B. Bhojpnttnt} ; 

 tapering-leaved birch (B. acuminala) ; shining 

 birch (Ji. nitida) ; cylindrical spiked birch (B. 

 cyliiit/rns/iic/tya). The principal American 

 birches are, 1. The poplar-leaved or white 

 AmeiK'.an birch (B. popnlifolia). It is very 

 like the European 11. pmdulu. 2. The red 

 birch (/>. ////</). In this country it is gene- 

 rally called n. aiiirulntit, and by some B.rubrn. 

 The Messrs. Loddiges, of Hackney, were the 

 first importers of this fine but little known 

 species. 3. The yellow birch (B. excelsu). 

 4. The paper or canoe birch (B. papyracea}, 

 which is employed by the North American 

 Indians for a variety of useful purposes. 5. 

 The soft black or cherry birch (B. lento). 

 None of the American birches produce timber 

 so valuable as this, whence one of its Ame- 

 rican na-mes is mountain mahogany. Its wood 

 is hard, close-grained, and of a reddish brown ; 

 it is imported into England in considerable 

 quantities, under the name of American 'birch, 

 for forming the sides of dining tables, and for 

 similar purposes. It is rarely seen in Eng- 

 land, although it is perhaps one of the best 

 suited to that climate. All the species of 

 birches, except the common and weeping, are 

 multiplied by layers in the usual way. 



The juice of "the birch tree, produced from 

 punctures in the spring of the year, is diuretic. 

 The wine made from this sap is said to be 

 aperitive, and detersive. Old medical writers 

 tell us that the wood was esteemed the best to 

 burn in times of pestilence and contagious 

 distempers ; but, like many old medical saws, 

 that opinion is of no value. (Phill/ps's Syl. 

 Flor. vol. i. p. 123; Pen. Syc. vol. iv. p. 348; 

 Baxter's Agr. L/6.) 



BIRDS/ A few of the feathered tribes may 



BIRD-CHERRY. 



be regarded as mischievous depredators upon 

 the farmer and gardener, eating his fruit, as the 

 robin ; pulling up the corn when just sprouted, 

 or eating it from the ear when nearly matured 

 as is so often done by the crow, the black-bird 

 or grakle. But if account be made of all the 

 services derived from birds in destroying those 

 insects which in their larva or worm state, or 

 their more perfect winged state, commit such 

 serious depredations upon orchards and fields, 

 it will be found that we owe the feathered fa- 

 mily a very large balance. Upon this subject 

 we must refer for further illustration to the 

 articles BEETLE, BOHEIIS, APHIS, and others 

 relating to destructive insects. That distin- 

 guished naturalist, Mr. Nuttall, has the follow- 

 ing beautiful tribute to birds in his interesting 

 Manual of t he Ornithology if the United States. 



"In whatever way we view the feathered 

 tribes which surround us, we shall find much 

 both to amuse and instruct. We hearken 

 to their songs with renewed delight, as the 

 harbingers and associates of the season they 

 accompany. Their return, after a long ab- 

 sence, is hailed with gratitude to the Author 

 of all existence; and the cheerless solitude of 

 inanimate nature is, by their presence, attuned 

 to life and harmony. Nor do they alone ad- 

 minister to the amusements and luxury of life ; 

 faithful aids as well as messengers of the sea- 

 sons, they associate round our tenements, and 

 defend the various productions of the earth, 

 on which we rely for subsistence from the de- 

 structive depredations of myriads of insects, 

 which, but for timely riddance by unnumbered 

 birds would be followed by a general failure 

 and famine. Public economy and utility, then, 

 no less than humanity plead for the protection 

 of the feathered race, and the wanton destruc- 

 tion of birds, so useful, beautiful, and amusing, 

 if not treated as such by law, ought to be con- 

 sidered as a crime by every moral, feeling, and 

 reflecting mind." 



BIRD-BOLT. A short arrow, having a ball 

 of wood at the end of it, and sometimes an. 

 iron point, formerly used for shooting birds. 



BIRD-CHERRY (Prunus padus}. The ber- 

 ries are eagerly sought after by birds, and as 

 the leaf and fruit resemble that of the cherry 

 tree, hence the name of bird-cherry. In Scot- 

 land it is called hogberry. This aboriginal of 

 our English woods possesses beauties that 

 should oftener secure it a situation in the 

 shrubbery, and more frequently a place in or- 

 namental hedge-rows. The bird-cherry rises 

 from ten to fifteen feet in height, spreading to 

 a considerable distance its branches, which 

 are covered with a purplish bark. It flowers 

 in April and May, and the small black fruit, 

 which hangs in bunches, ripen in August. 

 Although the fruit is austere, and bitter to the 

 taste, it gives an agreeable flavour to brandy, 

 and many persons add it, for the same reason, 

 to their made wines. Birds soon devour the 

 fruit, which is nauseous and probably danger- 

 ous, though perhaps, like that of the cherry 

 laurel, not of so deadly a quality as the essen- 

 tial oil, or distilled water of the leaves, which 

 is highly dangerous from containing much 

 Prussic acid. The wood is hard and close- 

 grained, and is used for whip and knife handle* 



