Hey Quinn, Forester's Take?

[George Tokarev]

Question for you. Bark from the "classic" yellow birch and what they call "cherry" birch or "black" birch. Much larger and darker, almost cherry pink heartwood in the cherry birch, and the bark has the flaky surface like cherry, versus the papery layer look of classic. Is it just soil chemistry or what?

The locals think they're different trees, though the taxonomists favor the chemistry theory. Sort of like the chemistry that causes a large dark heart in some hard maple versus the minimal dark in most others.

[Quinn McCarthy]

George

Is what you are calling the yellow birch on the left and black birch on the right?

Quinn

[George Van]

I will be interested in Quinn'sreply also George, most of the yellow birch on our woodlot have the rough bark and the larger red heartwood. Hardwood interiors, a paneling and flooring company in Ironwood, MI, make a flooring from this that they call cherry/flame birch which displays the red heart and flame figure.

[George Tokarev]

The Yellow is upper, black lower on the comparison. Black left, yellow right on the individuals.

Hey George, you got the coring rig up on the big monster yet? I was kicking that ~20" maple blister around while sweeping the chimney, and thought of you. Shame to make just one out of him, because he looks sound. Got to get over there someday.

Comparison of the shavings from the black (L) and yellow (R). The horse people will be here this weekend to get some of these bags out of the wellhouse.

[Quinn McCarthy]

George T

There is a species of birch that is called black birch or river birch. The scientific name of it is Betula nigra. I have never seen river birch any further north than about north central wisconsin. That doesn't mean that it doesn't occur by you. River birch has very flaky bark like cherry. Where are you located in the UP? I have spent some time working up there. My guess is that you have yellow birch with a big heart. I have seen a wide variety of hartwood sizes in maple and birch in WI and the UP. Even on the same stand of timber. The way to tell without reservation is to look at the buds and branches in the winter or the leaves in summer.

George V

Many saw mills are cutting the heartwood from white and yellow birch and selling it as "red birch" or a few other names. There is not a lot of it in each log so getting good widths on it is hard. I have seen red birch at double the BF price as regular birch. There is a good demand for it right now.

[George Tokarev]

Could be the "black" is moving north in sheltered areas, I suppose. Seen it in trees from the Keewenaw to Menominee. Global warming.

Truth is, with the current viral disease among the yellow birch, we may not see a lot of it soon.

[George Van]

George V

Many saw mills are cutting the heartwood from white and yellow birch and selling it as "red birch" or a few other names. There is not a lot of it in each log so getting good widths on it is hard. I have seen red birch at double the BF price as regular birch. There is a good demand for it right now.

Thanks Quinn, I wish my sawlog prices reflected the same. :-)

[George Van]

George, you are welcome to come over anytime but I know your responsibilities make that difficult. I did try to core on the outboard Saturday but the new 1 ½” gate post for the McNaughton was too short and they did not have a longer one. I just got a foot of 1 ½” DOM pipe with 1” ID in yesterdays mail, I will drill and tap it when it rains and I cannot use the saw which is outside. I did core a 18” Yellow birch over the ways with the 1” post but the others wont fit.
Don't cut up that burl, if you can't get here I will bring the tools over to you and we can do it there if you can swivel the headstock for more clearance.