102 FAMILIAR TREES 



been to some extent employed for paper-making. 

 A ton of green wood yields three hundredweight 

 of fibre, which bleaches fairly well, so as to be- 

 suitable for paper of various qualities. 



From the time of Theophrastus the bark of the 

 young shoots has been used for dyeing and tanning 

 leather. When these shoots are less than a third of 

 an inch in diameter, their bark yields no le"ss than 

 sixteen per cent, of tannin. They produce red, 

 brown, or yellow dyes if used alone, and black on 

 the addition of copperas. The natives of Lapland 

 are stated to use the Alder as a dye for their 

 leathern garments, chewing its bark, and then, 

 employing their saliva, which becomes red in the 

 process. 



As final recommendations of the planting of this- 

 somewhat neglected tree in our swampy meadows, 

 it may be mentioned that its boughs, from their 

 durability in water, are especially suitable for filling- 

 in drains in wet land, and that it is exceptional in. 

 not in any degree injuring the grass that grows- 

 beneath it, either by its shade or by its fallen leaves. 

 This last characteristic is alluded to by Browne ia 

 "Britannia's Pastorals," where he writes — 



"The Alder, whose fat shadow nourisheth ; 

 Each plant set neere to him long flourishelh." 



As in the allied Birch, the male and female 

 catkins are in the Alder on the same tree. They 

 appear before the leaves, the male ones being visible 

 in autumn and the female ones being often con- 

 spicuous among the dark branches in March, whilst 



