Page:Timber and Timber Trees, Native and Foreign.djvu/235

XXVII.] northern ports, and passes into the manufacturing-districts for use in a variety of ways. Very little, however, comes to the London market.

There are several varieties of the Birch tree in America, and among the best are the following:—

Betula rubra, or Red Birch, is found on the borders of rivers in the southern provinces of the United States, and according to Michaux, it delights as much in heat as many other species do in cold. It attains the height of 70 feet, with a diameter of 30 to 36 inches. Its uses are chiefly for cabinet work and turnery.

Betula lenta, or B. nigra, the Black or Cherry Birch of North America, is, perhaps, the most valuable, and is abundant in the midland states. It differs, however, from the common Birch of Europe, and flourishes best in a rich soil. It is of straight growth, and, in favourable situations, attains the height of 75 feet, with a diameter of 30 to 36 inches.

The wood is of a yellowish colour, moderately hard, straight and even in the grain, close in texture, easy to work, and on account of its superior quality to the other species, it is sometimes in America called Mountain Mahogany. American Birch is imported into this country in logs varying from 6 to 20 feet in length, by 12 to 30 inches, pretty well squared, and having only 1 to 2 inches wane upon the angles. The sap is 2 to 4 inches thick.

The heart-shake is small, and the wood near the pith is, for the most part, solid; very little loss can, therefore, arise from its conversion. It is used extensively for furniture, turnery, and in a variety of ways in the domestic arts.

Dark, damp-looking spots and rings are often seen on the ends of the logs, which seem to indicate incipient