18 



BULLETIN" 232, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



LARCH. 



Two species of larch are cut into lumber, but the eastern species is 

 generally called tamarack (Larix laricina). The latter is found in the 

 northern tier of States from Minnesota to Maine and in eastern Canada. 

 The western larch (Larix occidentalis) is native to Montana, Idaho, 

 Washington, and British Columbia. Both are needle-leaf trees, 

 which annually shed their foliage. 



Table 18. — Larch lumber sawed. 



State. 



Number 

 of active 

 mills re- 

 porting. 



Quantity 

 (M feet 

 b. m.). 



Per cent 

 of distri- 

 bution. 



United States 



Montana 



Idaho 



Washington 



Minnesota 



Wisconsin 



Oregon 



Michigan 



All other States 1 . 



557 



49 



50 



54 



112 



132 



31 



112 



17 



395,273 



137, 703 

 119,714 

 39, 277 

 35,455 

 26, 008 

 21,228 

 15, 721 

 167 



100.0 



34.8 

 30.3 

 9.9 

 9.0 

 6.6 

 5.4 

 4.0 

 .0 



1 Includes establishments distributed as follows: Indiana, 1; New Hampshire, 2; New York, 8; Iowa,2; 

 Maine, 2; Ohio, 1; and Vermont, 1. 



BIRCH. 



While there are several species of birch in the United States, two 

 furnish the bulk of the lumber produced and the species 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 birch (Betula lenta) is the principal species cut in Penn- 

 sylvania and West Virginia. The ranges of these species overlap and 

 therefore each is cut to a small extent in the region where the other is 

 most important. In northern New England paper birch (Betula 

 papyrifera) is an important source of material for spools, toothpicks, 

 and novelties, but a great deal is not cut into lumber. 



Sweet or cherry birch (Betula lenta) ranges from Newfoundland to 

 western Ontario and southward into Indiana and Illinois, and among 

 the mountains to Kentucky and Tennessee. It is sometimes known 

 as wintergreen birch. 



Yellow birch (Betula lutea) has the same eastern range as the fore- 

 going, but extends farther west and northwest. 



River birch (Betula nigra) ranges over the Southern States, and is 

 found in New England and New York. It is poorer in color and 

 figure than the other birches, but is sometimes cut for lumber. 



Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) is confined to the northern tier of 

 States east of Minnesota principally, and is very abundant in Michi- 

 gan, Wisconsin, New York, New England, and Canada. 



Mountain birch (Betula occidentalis) is sawed in lumber to a moder- 

 ate extent on the Pacific coast. 



White birch (Betula, populijolia) is a minor timber tree in New 

 England and farther northeast in Canada. 



