i 4 o NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



Birk, birch, grows in moft parts, and in the greateft plenty. 

 It is of two kinds, the common birch, and a leffer fort with fmall 

 thick leaves. Birch is made ufe of here for various purpofes *. 

 It is more generally ufed for fuel than any other wood, and is 

 carried to the great towns for that ufe, and fometimes exported 

 abroad from thence. But the bark is of greater utility, and that 

 in two refpe&s. The extreme white bark, which is diftinguifhed 

 by the particular name of Never, or rind, and fometimes grows 

 again upon the fame tree from which it hath been pealed off, 

 provided this was done carefully, is fo fat and firm in its parts, 

 that it will efcape putrefaction for many years, even in the damp- 

 eft places. It is on account of this quality, that every peafant 

 fpreads it over the fir planks with which his houfe is covered, 

 and upon this Never he lays green fword or turf to a confiderable 

 thicknefs for the fake of warmth. The inner, or the dark brown 

 bark, is applied, like the bark of oaks, to tanning of fkins and 

 hides, and even flfhing-nets and fails, which it renders more 

 durable. The Scotch likewife ufe it for tanning their hides, and 

 pay eight Danifh-fhillings for thirty-fix pound weight of it. Be- 

 sides all this, thofe who like it, draw a wholfom and pleafant 

 juice from the trunk of this tree, as in the eaftern countries the 

 fame is pra&ifed with palm-trees. They bore a hole in the 

 trunk f , and the juice diftills into a flalk hanging under it, with- 

 out the leaft damage to the tree, provided the hole is immediately 

 ftopt by driving in a wooden peg. 



Boeg, beech, is rather fcarce here, except in the counties of 

 Laurvig and Jarlfberg. And it does not appear, that beech grows 

 fpontaneoufly at a certain diftance northward, for according to 

 the obfervation of Linnaeus, in the tranfa&ions of the Swedifh 

 academy for the year 1739, vol. 1. p. 22. it doth not grow in 



* Valbirk, the maple-tree, which fprings from -the roots of fome birch-trees, is 

 ufed in feveral neat and polilhed works, being hard, firm, veiny and fpotted, and was 

 thought beautiful, when heretofore the drinking mugs were made of it. 



f Dr. Bnchwald, in his fpecimen Botanicum, p. 51. fays of this birch-juice, " in 

 fcorbuto, i&ero, podagra, nephritide, calculo, ac cunelis aliis chronicis morbis tarta- 

 reis, tarn prsefervativum quam curativum fingulare eft remedium." A certain friend 

 allures me from his own experience, that from the buds of birch, gathered juft when 

 they are full of their refmous and vifcous fap, and diftilled with birch water, or for 

 want of this in other good water, may be drawn a milky juice, which when it fubfides 

 and clarifies, leaves in the bottom and on the fides of the glafs, a pretty thick balfam, 

 which being duly feparated is in point of confiftence, colour, fmell and tafte, exa&ly 

 like the precious, tho' frequently counterfeited balfam of Mecca. 



Sweden 



