BIRCH. 215 



alluring their finny prey. For this purpose they fix a 

 portion of blazing birch in a cleft stick, and spear the fish 

 when attracted by its flickering light. 



If a hole is bored into my trunk when the sap begins to 

 rise, a sweet liquor freely distils, and this, when fermented, 

 yields a pleasant beverage. Tour or five punctures thus 

 made in a large tree produce nearly its own weight in sap, 

 without any material injury. When the season changes, 

 this vegetable fountain gradually decreases, but again flows 

 forth in spring. Thus does my friendly trunk yield to the 

 northern peasant both light and fuel, a pleasant beverage, 

 with cans for holding milk ; torches formed from my bark 

 enable him to entrap his finny prey, and render cheerful 

 his otherwise dark dwelling. Finland mothers form of the 

 dried leaves soft elastic beds for their children ; and from 

 me is prepared the mona, their sole medicine in all diseases. 

 My buds in spring exhale a delicious fragrance after 

 showers, and the bark, when burnt, serves to purify the 

 air in confined dwellings. 



