The Detroit times., 1913-10-27
BIRCH TREE A
LARGE FACTOR IN
OUR HISTORY
Early Explorers Found in Canoes
Made Frem Bark. Only Meth
Cd Of Transportation
NOW THEY USE WOOD
TO MAKE SHOE PEGS
Many Desks and Chairs Which
Lock Like Mahogany Are Only
Stained Birch

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25.-From fur.
nishing material for a canoe in which
to hunt whales some hundred odd
years ago to supplying New England
factories Of today with 1900 cords
Of wood annually for shoe pegs and
shanks 10, according to the department
Of agriculture. only part Of the ser
vices the birch tree has rendered and
L. rendering the people Of America.
Str Alexander Mackenzie, the de-.
partment tells us In . bulletin just 10
sued on the uses of birch. hunted
whales In q birch bark canoe. The
animals were found at the mouth Of
the Mackenzie river. He failed to
strike the game. and concluded that
It was probably for the best While
the canoes are frail. 1t 10 pointed out
that the bark on which they are made
resists decay longer than any other
part Of the tree.
II would be dimcult. the department
goes on to say, to estimate the value
Of the service OF the birch bark canoe
In the discovery, exploration. develop
ment. and settlement Of the northern
part of this continent. From the Arctic
Circle to the Great Lakes. and south.
ward, for . century and q half, that
light but exceedingly strong and scr.
viceable vessel threaded the lakes and
rivers. bearing trade and carrying civ.
ilisation where no other boat could
20. The French explorers and mis-
sionaries made journeys of hundreds
Of miles IN these canoes, often carry
ing cargoes which would seem beyond
the capacity Of s,ich frail vessels.
The range Of uses to which birch
wood 10 put u surprisingly large. Ac-
eording to tho department. the articles
into which It goes range from church
pews TO kitchen tables, and from or.
gan pipes to newell posts We may
have our FIRST sleep In . birch crib
and our last In q birch CONN. The
spools on which we get our cotton and
silk thread are birch spool, and the
lasts on which our shoes are mad
likely 70 b birch lasts. The largest
OF the spool hold 10000 yards. the
smallest 20 yards. The woods beau
~. strength and rightly make 1t prom
insnt - q material for musical instru-
ments. and the same qualities bring
It into extensive use for flooring.
Aoooy RVSHsO AoNO W. NV ShSt SAsOc
pegs have nsarly passed out Of use.
but the amount Of birch previously
mentioned - made into pegs and
shaaks ,y4arAy u New England seems
to disprove this notion. Birch. the
department sayY. 10 often put on the
market In imitation OF other woods.
and ~ may open many Q door. sit on
many . chair. and write on many q
desk which we imagine to be mahog
any. but which 10 really birch stained
to resemble the genuine article.
Nine species Of birch grow in the
United States. but sweet, yellow, pa
per. and river birch are those most
used. About 46,000.000 board feet OF
the wood nnds it, way to the market
yearly. Paper birch II one OF the few
American species with hold on the
forest stronger than II had when
America was discovered. Large tracts
are now covered with this birch
where there was little of it.a century
ago. II. comes In after IRE. and some
tracts It has taken possession OF Gov
er hundreds Of square miles.