440 



HISTORY OP THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



The blossoms are of a beautiful purple, or deep 

 red, and come out about two weeks before the 

 leaves. They are sessile, aggregate, and situated 

 at the extremity of the branches. The leaves 

 are smaller than those of the preceding species, 

 but in some respects are similar. The wood is 

 liard, and well adapted for the turning lathe; and 

 before the introduction of mahogany, was much 

 esteemed for its variegated aspect and the fine 

 polish which it bears. 



The French Canadians make sugar from this 

 tree, which they call plaine, but the juice is not 

 very strong. A dark blue and black dye is fur- 

 nished by the bark. 



The red maple thrives in wet and swampy 

 situations. 



The Striped Barked Maple (acer striatum), 

 has a slender stem, with a smooth bark, beauti- 

 fully vai'ied with green and white stripes; the 

 boiighs are of a shining red in winter. The thick- 

 ness of the shade, the beauty of the bark, and 

 the tree not being liable to be infested by insects, 

 render it very desirable for ornamental planta- 

 tions. The only objections to it are, that it is 

 subject to be injured by storms, and that the 

 abundance of its foliage and seeds occasions a 

 gi'eat litter in autumn. 



The Italian Maple (acer opalus), is a noble 

 tree, with large and beautiful foliage, throwing 

 an extensive shade. It is much prized in Italy 

 for planting in avenues and public walks. 



The BiEcn (hetula). Natural family amenta- 

 ceas ; monaecia, triandria,o{ Linnaeus. The birch 

 is a native of cold and inhospitable climates; and 

 the dwarf birch is the last tree that is found as 

 we approach the snow in elevated regions. At 

 the island of Hammerfest, lat. 79° 40', the dwarf 

 birch, in the sheltered hollows between the 

 mountains, rises to about the height of a man ; 

 and in the low branches which creep along the 

 ground, the ptarmigan finds a summer shelter, 

 where it breeds in security. Naturalists affirm 

 that the birch tree constitutes the principal at- 

 traction to the birds which are found in such 

 plenty in high northern latitudes; the catkins af- 

 fording them food in the spring, and the seeds 

 during the remainder of the year. 



The Common Birch (hetula alba), is a grace- 

 ful tree, and throws out a pretty strong and very 

 agreeable fragrance. When it arrives at a con- 

 siderable size, the branches hang down or " weep ;" 

 and as they are sometimes thirty or forty feet 

 long, and not thicker than a common packthread, 

 they are very beautiful, especially when the 

 points of them are laved in a clear mountain 

 stream. Coleridge calls the weeping birch the 

 "lady of the woods." 



Though the people of more favoured places 

 rather despise the birch tree, and leave it to the 

 turner, out of which to make some of the smaller 

 of his wares, or employ the shoots as mop handles. 



and the twigs as brooms; there are situations in 

 which it is among the most valued and valuable 

 productions of nature. 



In those parts of the Highlands of Scotland 

 where pine is not to be had, the birch is a timber 

 for all uses. The stronger stems are the rafters 

 of the cabin; wattles of the boughs are the walls 

 and the door; even the chests and boxes are 

 of this rude basket work. To the highlander, 

 it forms his spade, his plough, and, if he happen 

 to have one, his cart and his harness; and when 

 other materials are used, the cordage is still 

 withies of twisted birch. These birch ropes are 

 far more durable than ropes of hemp; and the 

 only preparation is to bark the twig, and twist 

 it while green. 



In ancient times, both in Britain and other 

 parts of Europe, strong and light canoes were 

 made of the touch bark of the birch; and it is 

 still used for the same purposes in the northern 

 parts of America. The species used for canoes 

 by the Indians and French Canadians is called 

 the canoe birch, (hetula papyracea, or hetula 

 nigra). In good soils it reaches an elevation 

 of seventy feet. The weight of a canoe that 

 will hold four persons, does not exceed fifty 

 pounds. 



The peasantry in some parts of northern Eu- 

 rope thatch their houses with the birch, weave 

 the long fibres into mats, and twist them into 

 ropes, and even grind the inner bark to mix with 

 their bread. The bark is used in the simple 

 dyes, and also in tanning. The Laplanders use 

 it in the preparation of their rein-deer skins; 

 and in Russia the hides which are so esteemed 

 for binding books are prepared with the empy- 

 reumatic oil of the birch. A weak but not un- 

 pleasant wine may be obtained by draining the 

 sap in March, boiling it, and then fermenting it. 

 The Northern people also make very neat bas- 

 kets and boxes of the bark, the Laplanders carv- 

 ing the large knots which the trees put forth, 

 into vases, which, although fashioned with their 

 rude knives, have much of the beauty of turnery. 

 In Kamtschatka also, it is formed into drink- 

 ing cups. The wood of the birch on the banks 

 of the Garry, in Glengany, Scotland, is cut into 

 staves, with which herring barrels are made. 

 It is an excellent wood for the turner, being 

 light, compact, and easily worked; and for un- 

 dressed palings and gates, such as are used in the 

 sheep countries, few timbers are superior to it. 

 It is not very durable, however, but very cheap, 

 as it thrives upon soils that are fit for little else, 

 and sows itself without any assistance from art. 

 It grows upon rocks which one would think 

 absolutely bare; and such is the power of its 

 roots, that penetrating through fissures, they 

 will separate stones several tons in weight, to 

 reach the soil. The black birch of America has 

 been imported into this country. It is compact 



