84 



THE BIRCH. 



and crayons, and in northern countries, other 

 parts of the tree are applied to various uses, not, 

 indeed, from any particular fitness of the Birch, 

 but from the absence of trees of any other kind : 

 "the Highlanders of Scotland make everything 

 of it, they build their houses, make their beds, 

 chairs, table, dishes, and spoons ; construct their 

 mills : make their carts, ploughs, harrows, gates, 

 and fences, and even manufacture ropes of it. 

 The branches are employed as fuel in the dis- 

 tillation of whiskey ; the spray is used for smok- 

 ing hams and herrings, for which last purpose 

 it is preferred to every other kind of wood. 

 The bark is used for tanning leather, and some- 

 times, when dried and twisted into a rope, in- 

 stead of candles. The spray is used for thatch- 

 ing houses : and, dried in summer, with the 

 leaves on, makes a good bed, where heath is 

 scarce." — Loudon. 



In Russia an oil is extracted from the Birch, 

 which is used in the preparation of Russian 

 leather. For this purpose, the white bark, taken 

 either from recent trees, or from the decayed 

 trees which are found in the woods, is gathered 

 into a heap, and pressed into a pit shaped like 

 a funnel ; it is then set on fire, and covered with 

 turf. 



The oil which trickles down the sides drops 

 into a vessel placed to receive it, and is then 

 stowed away in casks. The purest oil swims at 

 the top, and when used for anointing leather not 

 only imparts a fragrant odour, but makes it dur- 

 able. Owing to the presence of this oil, books 

 bound in Russian leather are not liable to become 

 mouldy ; they also prevent mouldiness in books 



