86 BRITISH AMERICA.

ing in appearance, is by no means a difl‘erent variety from the common white birch, which merely assumes a tall, spreading, or dwarfish character, according to the situation and soil in which it grows.

The white birch, although the wood, except under water, be not durable, is still a most valuable tree. It is clean, close-grained, easily worked, and useful for common turners’ work. Its fibres are split open, and worked by the Indian women into baskets, ropes, brooms, &c. Its inner bark contains excellent tannin, and of the outer bark of the large trees are made the canoes used by the savages and Canadian voyageurs.

The yellow birch diifers only from the white in its outer bark, which is yellowish, being too thin for any useful purpose, and its wood being somewhat tougher ; neither will it grow in exposed situations, nor on barren soils. The grey birch seldom attains more than eight or nine inches in diameter. It is hardy, and differs only from the dwarf white birch in the colour and texture of the outer bark.

The black birch of America (betula nigra) is a ~.-._ magnificent tree, often fifteen to eighteen feet in cir- cumference; its outer bark is rough and dark, the ‘ inner bark thick, and full of tannin. The wood is IT _' finely shaded and variegated, susceptible of as high a 5i polish as mahogany, and furniture made of choice trees 3? is equally beautiful. It is imported in large square logs from America, and used in this country for many purposes. It makes excellent planks for ships’ bot- toms; but if exposed to the weather, it is not dura-

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