BIRCH (Betula), a genus• of trees belong ing to the family Betulace
sap, from the amount of sugar it contains, affords a kind of agreeable wine. Birch-wine is produced by the tree being tapped by boring a hole in the trunk, during warm weather, in the end of spring, or beginning of summer, when the sap runs most copiously. It is re corded that during the siege of Hamburg, in 1814, many birch-trees in that vicinity were destroyed in this manner by the Russian soldiers. The dwarf birch, Betula nana, is a low shrub, a native of parts of the Highlands of Scotland and of Arctic regions generally. It is never more than two or three feet high, and is generally much less; a full-grown plant being thus a very tiny example of a tree. It is used as fuel, and as stuffing for beds, and its seeds furnish food for ptarmigan and other birds. A similar species is a native of the Antarctic regions. Among others the red or river birch of North America (B. nigra) grows to the height of 90 feet, and produces hard and valuable timber. It is Icnown as the red birch from the redness of the bark in the young trees. Another American species, the cherry birch or sweet birch (B. lenta), is also called the black birch. It grows to a similar height with the preceding, and yields even more valuable timber, used in malting furniture, etc., being tough, fine-grained and taking on a good polish. The paper birch (B. papyrifera) is another American species which also attains a large size. Its habitat extends within the Arctic Circle, but it becomes rare and stunted in the extreme north. It receives its name from the fact that thin strips of the brilliant white bark are sometimes used as a substitute for paper. The bark of tifis species is put to perhaps a greater variety of uses than that of any other, its wood and sap being also utilized. Another American birch is the yellow birch (B. lutea), so named from the golden color of the outer barlc. It is a large-leaved species, yielding timber used for shipbuilding, etc., and is a native of the eastern parts of Canada and the northeast of the United States. Of Himalayan species may be mentioned B. utilis, the Indian paper birch. Its thin papery bark has been used as paper from a remote period, and is still commonly used for packing pur poses, for lining the flexible tubes of hookahs, and in other ways, while the wood is tough, and is employed in malting articles of various kinds. In its native mountains it may be found at an altitude of 10,000 to 13,000 feet Several of the pigrny species deserve mention. B. pumila, which is generally less than eight feet tall, but sometimes reaches a height of 15 feet, is found from Newfoundland to Minnesota, and south to Ohio. B. glandulosa, which ex tends from Labrador to Alaska and south to Michigan and in the mountains to Colorado, seldom exceeds four feet. Other species, natives of Europe and Asia, resemble the preceding more or less in appearance and uses. Consult Bailey, 'Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture' (1914) ; Regel, (Monographische Bearbeitung der Betulacem) (1861) ; DeCandolle, (Prodro mus 16' (1869).
Char lotte, German actress and playwright: b. Stutt gart, 23 June 1800; d. 24 Aug. 1868, her maiden name being Pfeiffer. She first appeared on the stage in her 13th year at Munich, and soon ac quired a great reputation, her special role be ing that of the heroines of tragedy. In 1825 she married Christian Birch, a writer of some note. After playing with success at places as 40-inch movable quadrant. Bird's marked superiority to all other makers of the day is strikingly exemplified by the fact that in 1767 the Board of Longitude paid him i500 on his agreeing to take an apprentice for seven years, instruct other persons as desired, and furnish upon oath descriptions and plates of his methods. A result of this arrangement was the publication of two treatises, named respectively 'The Method of Dividing Astronomical Instru ments' (1767), and (The Method of Construct ing Mural Quadrants' (1768), each with a pref ace by Maskelyne, the astronomer-royal.