AMERICAN FOREST TREES 567 



lary rays are numerous but so small that they appear on the quartered 

 wood merely as a gloss, which, however, gives the surface a rich appear- 

 ance. 



Forms known as curly and wavy birch are highly esteemed. 

 They are accidents of growth, well developed in birch, and occurring in 

 several other woods. Difficulties are encountered in assigning sweet 

 birch its individual place in the industrial world. As a tree it is well 

 known, but that is not the case when its lumber goes to market. The 

 sweet birch log goes into the sawmill, but when the lumber goes out at 

 the other end of the mill, it is often simply birch having lost the adjective 

 ' 'sweet' ' somewhere in the operation. The reason is that sweet birch and 

 yellow birch, quite distinct in the forest, are often mixed and become 

 one, to all intents and purposes, when they reach the market. That is 

 not always the case, but it frequently is. Something depends on the 

 region. The yellow birch's range is more extensive, and in areas where 

 it is abundant, and sweet birch is not, it prevails in the lumber markets. 

 But south and southeast of the great lakes, as well as in the northeastern 

 part of the country, the two species mingle, and they are apt to go to 

 market simply as birch. The woods may be distinguished by a micro- 

 scopic examination, but the ordinary observer would make many 

 mistakes if he attempted to tell one from the other in the lumber yard. 



The two woods are different in several physical properties. Both 

 are heavy, but sweet birch weighs 47.47 pounds per cubic foot, while 

 yellow birch weighs only 40.84 pounds, according to tests averaged by 

 Sargent. Yellow birch rates a little above the other in breaking strength. 

 Both are very stiff, but yellow birch rates superior. In most respects 

 the two woods are put to similar uses flooring, interior finish, furniture 

 but for some purposes sweet birch is preferred. It is substituted 

 of tener for cherry and mahogany, and for that reason is known as cherry 

 birch or mahogany birch. Its color makes the substitution easy, and 

 the appearance of the grain, with a little doctoring with stains and fillers, 

 helps in the deception. The buyer may be deceived as to the exact 

 kind of wood he is getting, but he is not cheated in the quality. Birch 

 is substituted where strength is required, as in the rails of beds, the 

 frames of sofas, davenports, large chairs, and certain parts of large 

 musical instruments. It is much stronger, and fully as hard as cherry 

 or mahogany, and as its appearance is so much like them, the article is* 

 actually better on account of the substitution. Sweet birch is largely 

 employed for various parts of vehicle manufacture, particularly for 

 wagon hubs and frames of automobiles. It is also much used in the 

 manufacture of sleds, boats, and handles. 



The demand is heavy and the supply is diminishing. The tree is of 



