56 



Common Trees 



PAPER BIRCH 



Betula papyrifera, Marsh 



THE PAPER Birch is also called Canoe Birch and White 

 Birch. Every boy and girl has learned that the bark of 

 this tree was used by the Indians and early settlers in the 

 making of canoes. No person who has seen it will forget 

 its chalky white bark. It reaches a height of 50 to 75 feet 

 and a diameter of 3 feet. 



The leaves are simple, 

 alternate, oval, 2 or 3 

 inches long, finely toothed 

 on margin. 



The flowers appear 

 about April and are of two 

 kinds. The pollen-bearing 

 occur in drooping tassels 

 about 4 inches long. The 

 seed - producing occur in 

 erect spikes about 1 inch 

 long. 



The fruit is short- 

 stalked, usually drooping, 

 cylindrical spike about 1 Yi 

 inches long. The tiny seeds 

 are winged and produced 

 with 3-lobed scales. 



The bark on older 

 branches and small to me- 

 dium stems is chalky to 

 creamy white and peels off 

 in thin papery scales 

 marked with elongated 

 yellowish - brown breath- 

 ing pores. On old trunks it becomes rough and fissured 

 very young stems it is golden to reddish-brown. When 

 once removed the bark is never renewed. 



The wood is strong, hard, light-brown with light sap- 

 wood. It is used for spools, shoe lasts, fuel, paper pulp, and 

 many common household articles. 



The Paper Birch is found in the Northwoods from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific. It extends east to Labrador, south 

 to New Jersey and Pennsylvania and Michigan, west to the 

 Rocky Mountains and from there to Alaska. In New York 

 it is common on barren, stony, and sandy soils throughout 

 the Adirondacks and Catskills, where it ascends to higher 

 elevations than any other deciduous- leaved tree. It extends 

 southward locally to Delaware and Broome counties and 

 westward to Lake Erie. 



PAPER BIRCH 



Twig vections, winged seed and fruit scale, 



One-fourth natural size. 



enlarged. 



On 



