1218 BETULA. [CLASS XXI, ORDER VII. 
‘ 
It flourishes as well in poor as rich soil; on barren moors, and in 
sub-alpine districts. When naked lands are wanted speedily to be 
wooded, the Birch is one of the best, from the circumstance of its 
producing abundance of seeds, which disperse themselves all around, 
and speedily form acovering. Birches have too the advantage of not 
being injurious to the growth of other trees, such as the Oak or Pine, 
which may be growing or planted with them. ‘The tree is about the 
middle size, being usually about fifty feet high, but in favourable 
situations it attains the height of eighty feet. The wood is white, 
somewhat shaded with red, and durable when protected from wet; it 
is employed by wheelwights and furniture makers for a variety of ; 
purposes, as well as by coopers and turners. In the northern parts 
of Europe, especially Lapland, it is applied by the natives to 
the purposes of building huts, making furniture, fuel, shoes, &e. 
The twigs are made into baskets, and form their beds, both for winter 
and summer. ‘The well-known instrument of castigation, the 
“birch rod,;’ and “ birch brooms” are valued for their usefulness 
throughout Europe, though applied to such different uses. The bark 
is thiu, but tough and very durable, and abounds with oil and 
pyroligneous acid, which are obtained by burning the bark in kilns, 
surrounded with turf, when the oil flows through an opening at the 
bottom of the kiln into vessels placed to receive it. It is this product 
which gives the powerful smell to Russian leather; if the liquor be 
distilled, a clear oil passes over, having all the essential properties of 
the liquor, and a kind of tar remains, which is used for greasing cart 
wheels, &c., Russia leather, from its odour, is much esteemed for 
binding books, as it is said no insects will then attack them. The 
bark is stripped from the trees in large sheets by the Laplander, and 
applied to many useful purposes, on account of its durability and 
power of resisting decomposition from the oil which it contains. 
Trees may frequently be seen in old woods that have been blown down 
with the wood decayed away while the bark remains perfect; for this 
reason they use it for roofing their huts, &c., as we use slates. They 
form it into capes, leggings for boots and shoes, &c. It is also made 
into baskets, boxes, mats, &c., and they twist it into cordage for har- 
nessing horses and the rein-deer. They use it also for lighting fires, 
and burn it as candles; it tans their leather, and dyes their woollen 
goods a brownish yellow: besides these and many other purposes to 
which the tree and its bark are applied, the bole is tapped in the 
spring, and from it they obtain a great quantity of sap, which is 
transparent and colourless, without smell ; and according to Dr, John, 
1,730 grains contains four grains of sugar, besides which also there 
is present a little ammonia; but both the ammonia and sugar are in 
greater or less proportion, according to the developement of the tree: 
it is fermented with yeast into beer, having been previously boiled 
with hops, and it is evaporated for the sugar which it contains. 
Birch wine is made by boiling with every gallon of fresh sap four 
