PRODUCTION OF LUMBER, LATH, AND SHINGLES. 



25 



BIRCH. 



Two species furnish the bulk of the birch lumber produced, but 

 these are seldom separated in the trade. Yellow birch {Betula 

 lutea) is the principal source of lumber in New England, New York, 

 and the Lake States, while sweet (or cherry) birch {Betula lento) 

 is the principal species cut in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In 

 northern New England paper birch {Betula papyrifera)^ often 

 called canoe or white birch, is the principal source of material for 

 spools, toothpicks, and novelties and some is cut into lumber. 



River (or red) birch {Betula nigra) is poorer in color and figure 

 than the other birches, but is sometimes cut for lumber in the 

 Southern States. In the lumber trade " red birch " means lumber 

 cut from the heartwood of j^^ellow or sweet birch. 



"Western birch {Betula occidentalis) is sawed into lumber to a 

 minor extent on the Pacific coast. 



White (or gray) birch {Betula poj^ulifolia) \s a small timber tree 

 in New England used for minor purposes. 



Table 18. — Reported production of hircJi lumber, 1915. 

 [Computed total production in United States, 415,000 M feet b. m.] 



State. 



Principal species cut. 



Number 

 of active 

 mills 

 report- 

 ing. 



Quantity 



reported, 



M feet 



b. m. 



Per 

 cent. 



value per 

 Mfeet 

 f. 0. b. 

 mill. 



United States. 



Wisconsin 



Michigan 



Vermont 



Maine 



New York 



West Virginia 



Nevf Hampshire 



Pennsylvania 



All other States (see Summary, 

 p. 40). 



Yellow 



do 



do 



Yellow and paper . 



Yellow 



Sweet 



Yellow 



Sweet 



2,197 



355, 328 



100.0 



247 

 178 

 240 

 211 

 420 

 111 

 115 

 276 

 399 



161, 853 

 56, 869 

 27, 352 

 27, 138 

 20, 949 

 17, 715 

 13, 629 

 11,771 

 18, 052 



45.6 

 16.0 

 7.7 

 7.6 

 5.9 

 5.0 

 3.8 

 3.3 

 5.1 



S16. 52 



16.77 

 17.11 

 16.09 

 16.42 

 16.23 

 16.51 

 15.94 

 15.73 



LARCH. 



The term '' larch '' is here used to cover two closely related and 

 similar species, tamarack {Larix laincina)^ cut in the Northern States 

 from Minnesota to Maine, and western larch {Larix ocGidentalis) ^ cut 

 in Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. Although sold for 

 less at the mill, the lumber of the latter is more valuable than tama- 

 rack, because the tree is much larger and the wood has more strength 

 and figure and better finishing properties. 



