Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Forestry, by K. A. Fauchald
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has been proofread at least once.
(diff)
(history)
Denna sida har korrekturlästs minst en gång.
(skillnad)
(historik)
tar manufacturing is carried on as an additional industry, and
for that purpose pine roots are used.
Two species of birch occur as forest tree — lowland or white
birch, and mountain birch. The mountain birch grows everywhere
in Norway, as far north as the country extends. Its limit is
somewhat more than 650 feet higher than that of the pine. In
the southern part of the country, both species of birch are found
together, as a rule mixed with other trees; and they only form
uniform continuous forests in the mountains and in the northern
part of the country where the coniferous trees cannot spread and
multiply. With its light colour, however, and its delicate drooping
branches, the birch is also rather prominent in the lowlands. It
brightens up the dark coniferous forests, and appears in groves
scattered between farm fields and grazing-lands. These birch
groves often determine the character of the landscape, on account
of the animation and variety which they produce. It is only in
the most northern countries that the weeping birch («the lady of
the wood») attains its full beauty. In our country it is not only
one of the most beautiful trees, but also one of the most useful.
The wood is used as fuel and as material for many kinds of tools,
vessels, staves, etc.; the inside bark for tanning purposes, and the
outside bark especially for covering roofs; and finally, the leaves
are fodder for cattle. The tree probably requires, on an average,
a period of from 80 to 100 years for its normal development, and
may attain the height of 80 feet with a diameter, at breast height,
of about 5 feet. In the mountains and in Finmarken, the birch
as a rule is reproduced by ground shoots, more rarely by seeds.
In addition to the birch, other foliage trees grow in the lowlands,
partly as ornaments on the home fields around the farms, but
especially in the grazing fields and grass meadows, where, together
with the birch, they form groves, but rarely real woods. Of such
trees may be mentioned the aspen (Populus tremula) of which the
wood is used in manufacturing matches, the rowan (Sorbus
aucuparia), willow (Salix), alder (Alnus incana and glutinosa), hazel
(Corylus avellana), ash (Fraxinus excelsior) which is considered
especially adapted as material for manufacturing «ski» (Norwegian
snowshoes), lime (Tilia parvifolia), maple (Acer platanoides). The
foliage and bark are to some extent fodder for cattle.
The value of our export of forest products and of the timber
industry for the year 1897 is estimated at 62,000,000 kroner.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
