38 THE FOREST TREES OP UPPER CANADA. 



fine grained wood, and a very tough, durable bark, splitting into paper- 

 like layers. It is of the bark of this birch that the Indians make their 

 canoes ; hence the name, Canoe Birch. The wood is very similar to the 

 last, and used for similar purposes. There is also a dwarf mountain 

 variety. 



28. Black Birch {Betula lenta). — The largest of the birches, two to 

 three feet in diameter, and 60 to 70 feet in height ; found over an 

 extensive area, but more abundant in Lower than in Upper Canada. 

 The trunk is covered with a dark brown or reddish bark, which becomes 

 rough in old trees, and has a very agreeable aromatic flavour. The wood 

 is of a reddish colour, strong, compact, and takes a high polish ; much 

 used in furniture, and almost as handsomely figured as Honduras 

 mahogany, and, when coloured, and varnished, is not easily distinguished 

 from it. It is used, also, by carriage builders, and in frames of ships, 

 and parts under water ; it is more prized as it becomes better known, 

 as no wood sustains shocks and friction better than birch. A good deal 

 of it is exported to Europe. The bark is harder than the wood, and 

 used by Indians and backwoodsmen for shoes, hats, tiles of roofs, canoes, 

 &c. Specific gravity, 0"65 ; weight of cubic foot, 46 lbs. ; value for 

 heating, 65. 



29. Yellow Birch (B. excelsa). — A lofty, beautiful, slender tree, of 

 80 feet in height and 10 inches in diameter, with a thin, yellowish 

 cuticle. Not very abundant ; used for much the same purposes as the 

 black and white birches, and valuable for fuel. 



30. Wild Black Cherry (Cerasus serotina). — Grows to an average 

 height of 120 feet, with trunk of uniform size, and undivided to the 

 height of 70 feet in the forests, of an average diameter of 24 inches, not 

 uncommonly 36 inches, and found 48 inches in diameter. Not very 

 abundant, but found over extensive areas, not in groves, but in single 

 trees interspersed in the forests of deciduous trees, and springs up 

 freely and grows rapidly after the primal forests are cleared off. The 

 timber, of a pale red brown, is compact, fine, close-grained, receives a 

 high polish, and is extensively used in cabinet work. The bark has a 

 strong bitter taste, and is used in medicine as a tonic. The fruit, black 

 when mature, is pleasant to the taste. The timber can be furnished 

 in the western part of Canada at 602. sterling per 1,000 cubic feet ; 

 freight to Quebec about 11/. Specific gravity, - 56 ; weight of cubic 

 foot, 34 lbs. 



31. Wild Red Cherry (Cerasus Pennsylvanica). — Much smaller tree 

 than the black cherry, of rapid growth, and found mostly succeeding the 

 original forests, attains 40 to 50 feet in height, and 12 to 15 inches in 

 diameter. The flowers are white, the fruit red and very acid. 



32. Basswood (Tilia Americana). — Common forest tree throughout 

 Canada, of an average height of 110 feet, height to first limbs, 65 feet, 

 and diameter, 24 to 30 inches ; often much larger. The wood is white, 

 oft, close-grained, and not liable to warp or split, much used in cabinet 



