72 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



from that of almost all other trees. The sides of hills, and 

 chasms between rocks, are also peculiarly improved by the 

 varied and undulating character of this tree, and when planted 

 en ttiasse, or scattered promiscuously through the grove, it 

 becomes equally interesting. 



In England, the timber of the birch is less regarded than 

 in Scotland, where the highlanders make use of it for almost 

 every purpose whore useful, durable, or beautiful timber is re- 

 quired. But only there is it to be found in perfection. As a 

 fuel-timber, the birch has this peculiarity of burning clear, 

 and emitting a pleasing perfume, without producing near so 

 much smoke as most other timber, and is therefore much used 

 in the smoking of herrings, and in the preparation of malt 

 for the most esteemed whisky. Houses are built of it with 

 the bark left on, which last for many years ; and furniture is 

 made of it, little inferior to that inlaid with satin-wood. The 

 wheel-wright, mill-wi-ight, and turner, use it extensively, and 

 of late years its value was much enhanced, for the purpose of 

 making barrels for the herring-fisheries. 



The bark contains a considerable degree of astringency, 

 and is probably next in value to that of the oak. The juice 

 extracted in spring, afibrds when it has undergone the vineous 

 fermentation, a pleasant liquor, known as birch-wine. Pro- 

 fessor Pallas states, that the highly-prized Russian leather 

 owes its agreeable smell to an oil extracted from this tree. 

 ** The oil," he says, " is prepared from the white bark, either 

 taken from the live tree, or collected from those that are 

 putrid in the woods. It is best made from the latter : because, 

 by the putrefaction, it is freed from the inner bark ; and the 

 external white bark remains uncorrupted for ages, as appears 

 by the old burial-places of Janisea, and the vaults of the 

 very ancient city of Moscow, which he observed covered with 

 birch-bark. The bark is gathered into a heap, and pressed 

 into pits made in the shape of a funnel, prepared in clay-soil, 

 and when set on fire it is covered with turf. The oil, distilling 

 through the clay-hole at the bottom of the funnel, drops into 

 a vessel placed to receive it, and it is then tunned into casks 

 made of the hollowed trunks of trees. The pure limpid oil 

 swims at top, and is in the greatest request for anointing 



