USES OF COMMERCIAL WOODS. 31 



and is in little clanger of extermination to give room to field crop>. 

 Though the supply will never be large, it will probably continue. 

 The wood possesses no properties which will cause it to be sought out 

 for special purposes. It is a phiin. reliable wood, often used, but 

 never particularly sought after. 



Like the paper birch, it is easily identified by its bark, but unlike 

 the paper birch, its bark has no value. In general appearance it is 

 one of the most ragged and neglected-looking trees in the woods. 

 The loose outer bark hangs in shreds or torn strips, and beneath the 

 rents the delicately colored pink-brown young bark is visible, 



USES. 



The wood of river birch has no characteristic figure or grain. It 

 does not appear to be used for any purpose on account of attractive 

 or artistic apj^earance. It is as plain a wood as can be found in the 

 forests of this country, and all its uses are- based on service or con- 

 venience. In Louisiana the logging operators certisider it one of the 

 best obtainable woods for ox yokes, many of which are needed. It is 

 stronger and stiifer than white oak. and much lighter, but the princi- 

 pal property recommending it for yokes in Louisiana is its resistance 

 to decay in a climate and imder conditions that are verv^ trying. 



In Tennessee the slack coopers have found that river birch makes 

 good barrel headings, and it is sometimes employed in preference to 

 other good woods. In eastern Maryland the manufacturers of peacl) 

 baskets draw supplies from this wood, and substitute it for white 

 elm in making the hoops or bands which stiffen the top of the 

 basket and provide a fastening for the veneer which forms the sides. 

 The birch bends in a satisfactory manner, which is an important 

 point, and in that part of Maryland it is considerably cheaper than 

 elm. In some of the southern States it has been manufactured into 

 flooring for use where service rather than appearance is the chief 

 consideration. It is said to bear considerable resemblance to tupelo 

 as flooring where hard service is required, notably in warehouses, 

 barns, and factories. In many localities it is listed as furniture wood, 

 but usually as interior stock, to strengthen or constitute frames which 

 are to be overlaid with veneers of costlier woods. It is not regarded 

 favorably where high polish is wanted, or where fine varnish or oil 

 finish is to Idc applied, and for that reason its use as an outside wool 

 in high-class furniture or interior house finish has been rare, although 

 it has been made into mantels in Tennessee, and into spindles for 

 stair work elsewhere. 



This wood enters pretty generally into the manufacture of wooden- 

 ware within its range, but statistics usually do not mention it by 

 name. Observation at a number of woodenware factories in the 

 South has shown this species pretty generally in the log yards, though 



