278 TREES OF MINNESOTA. 
Propertics of wood.—lLight, rather hard, strong and close 
grained. It is light brown, with lighter colored sapwood. Spe- 
cific gravity 0.5762; weight of a cubic foot 35.91 pounds. 
Uses.—The River Birch is seldom used as an ornamental 
tree, although it is very beautiful and does well in any good 
retentive soil. The wood is used for furniture, cabinet making, 
wooden shoes, ox yokes and in turnery. 
Betula lutea. Yellow Birch. Gray Birch. 
Leaves ovate or oblong-ovate, wedge shaped or slightly heart 
shaped at the base. Bark of trunk yellowish gray and somewhat 
silvery, separating into thin layers and hanging loosely coiled 
up in rolls, giving old trunks a very ragged appearance. Fruit- 
ing catkins short, oblong. ‘The inner bark, twigs and leaves 
spicy, aromatic. similar to wintergreen, but much less so than 
B. lenta. A large and very valuable timber tree. 
Distribution—From Newfoundland to the valley of the Rainy 
river, and south to North Carolina and Tennessee. In Minne- 
sota common in woods in north half of the state and rare in the 
western and southwestern portion. 
Propagation.—See genus Betula. 
Propertics of wood.—Heavy, very strong, hard and close 
grained, with a satiny surface that takes a fine polish; it is light 
brown tinged with red, with thin white sapwood. Specific grav- 
ity 0.6553; weight of a cubic foot 40.84 pounds. 
Uses.—The wood of the Yellow Birch is one of the most valu- 
able of our northern woods, and is sometimes termed American 
Mahogany. It is largely used in the manuiacture of fine furni- 
ture, the hubs of wheels, and for small wooden articles such as 
clothes pins, pill boxes, shoe pegs, tool handles, tripods, and 
also for keels for ships. As fuel it is much superior to Paper 
Birch. The bark is used to some extent for tanning purposes. 
The volatile oil used for imparting the flavor of Birch to can- 
dies, soda water, etc., is derived to some extent [rom this species 
though mostly from the Sweet Birch (B. lenta.) It requires a 
cold, moist soil to develop its best form, and suffers severely 
from drouth. On this account it is not desirable as an orna- 
mental tree or for prairie planting. 
