The birch
is a true native of the Northern Hemisphere and grows to heights of 610m.
It thrived well before the last Ice Age and was among the first trees to re-colonize
the land in massive tracts of forest, after the ice retreated.
The birch is often the first tree to establish itself on a new site and is tolerant of adverse conditions, such as severe weather, frosts and the polluted environments that we often experience today.
The birch is often the first tree to establish itself on a new site and is tolerant of adverse conditions, such as severe weather, frosts and the polluted environments that we often experience today.
Birch Trees
For many centuries trees played an important part in man's spiritual life,
representing a new awakening each spring. It was often the custom for example, for girls to
give their partners a birch twig as a sign of love.
The so called "Besom
Wedding" which involved the couple jumping over birch twigs was recognized as legitimate. On midsummer nights birch boughs were often hung over doors to bring good luck and
ward off evil spirits.
Birch was also used in more practical ways. For example, birch bark was stitched together to make food receptacles, canoes for hunting and the pitch was made into glue to fix flint arrow heads and spears onto their wooden shafts.
Birch was also used in more practical ways. For example, birch bark was stitched together to make food receptacles, canoes for hunting and the pitch was made into glue to fix flint arrow heads and spears onto their wooden shafts.
Polmac Hamper Boxes Made From Birch Ply
In spring, birch sap was used to make mead and the fresh cambial tissue was used to make a nutritious bread. Birch tea is an ancient and powerful remedy used to combat such ailments as gout, rheumatism and arthritis.
The sawdust from birch wood was used for smoking fish and is a practice which endures to this day. The bark was used to tan hides and as a roof covering to keep the rain out, much like the way roofing felt is used today.
Birch wood is quite soft and fairly easy to work and has a wonderful, silver-bar like quality which is highly prized that Polmac uses for making customized, wood boxes where specified. The wood can also be pulped and used for making writing paper.
Birch is a tough, robust wood which is also used to make the best quality, narrow gauge plywood, which is ideal for manufacturing round boxes such as hamper and shaker boxes.
Birches are fast growing and are often used to screen less hardy species, especially on windy higher ground.
