Why are black stripes needed on the trunk of a birch tree? Why are birches white? Why is birch bark white?

Target: nurturing love for nature, native land, Motherland.

Tasks:

• develop a caring attitude towards nature;
• continue work on the moral education of students;
• teach to see beauty;
• create opportunities for the creative development of students.

PROGRESS OF THE EVENT

Teacher. Many countries of the world have their own plants - symbols: Lebanon has the Lebanese cedar, Canada has the maple, Japan has sakura, India has the lotus.
And in our forests there are many trees revered by the people, for example, rowan. She has long been held in high esteem in Rus'; people composed songs about the forest beauty and endowed her with magical powers. The fisherman took a rowan stick with him - it would not be afraid of a storm. It was believed that rowan could resist the evil machinations of sorcerers and witches, so a necklace made of rowan was put on a newborn child, its leaves were placed in the shoes of the newlyweds. Peasants used a branch of rowan to lightly hit the cows so that they would have milk. Rowan fruits and flowers are widely used in medicine.

1st presenter. Another tree is aspen. “The Cinderella of the Russian forest”, “talkative mistress”, “sworn tree”, “trembling” is popularly called this slender tree with greenish-gray bark and a sparse crown, painted in red, red lead and lemon yellow in the autumn.
According to one of the legends, there was once a dispute between the trees about who brings more benefit to people. And pine, and larch, and ash, cedar, and birch vied with each other about their merits, and only aspen had nothing to say, but then time itself dispelled the myths about the uselessness of aspen. For centuries, its buds and leaves have been used by traditional healers.

Reader.

Tree dispute

There was a dispute once started
In the forest among the trees.
He was talking about the benefits for people -
One belief says.
Everyone knew about their meeting:
Shrubs, blades of grass.
Appeared to them in all their glory
Birch, Cedar, Aspen,
Mighty Oak. Vying with each other
They stood in front of each other
Boast about benefits and yourself,
For people to choose.
The oak says: “I am the king among you!
The acorn will give them vitamins,
The bark will benefit them.”
Kedr remarked: “I will give in
In fragile material.
But I give the oil in the cones.
People found out about him!”
“And I’ll give you life-giving juice. –
Berezka answered,
There is also a healing infusion
On broncs - on earrings.”
“Why are you silent, Aspen?”
“Shall we put an end to the dispute?”
"Look how out of fear
Its leaves are trembling! –
The trees spoke after.
Aspen decided
That there is no benefit to people...
“And it served her right.”
Centuries go by, years pass...
Aspen is useful to us:
Infusion on the kidneys for us always
Needed in sick matters,
No one can get by
Without aspen matches,
If you are superstitious, rely
On a stake in the fight against a vampire.
Such is her enormous contribution -
Osinka wiped her nose!
Everyone knows about this:
Shrub and reed.

Olesya Petrovicheva, 10th grade.

Teacher. Willow, willow, spruce, pine, bird cherry, viburnum...
Each of these trees has its own meaning in oral folk art, poetry and painting, but most of all the life and fate of a Russian person is connected with the beauty about whom these riddles are:
Alyonka is standing with a green scarf,
Slim figure, white sundress.
She welcomes spring and puts on earrings.
A green scarf is draped over the back.
And the dress is striped:
You will know… (birch)?

– So, today we will talk about birch. ( Annex 1 . Slide 1).
It is known that no country has such an abundance of birch trees as we have in Russia.
The white-trunked tender birch tree has long symbolized Russian nature, Russia.

2nd presenter. Birches reach a height of 10 - 25 (maximum 45) m, trunk diameter 25-120 (maximum up to 150) cm.
The crown is most often ovoid in shape. Birch bark - birch bark in many species is white. This is the only breed in the world with snow-white bark. ( Annex 1 . Slides 2-7) The lifespan of a birch is from 40 to 120 years. Flowering from 8-15 years, in plantings - from 20-30 years, abundant and almost annual.
Birch is light-loving, grows successfully in various climatic conditions, is frost-resistant, tolerates permafrost, is drought-resistant, has little demand for soil fertility and moisture, therefore it is found on rocky and poor sandy soils, and on peat bogs. The birch goes far to the north and south, and rises high into the mountains. It is one of the first to settle in pine-spruce clearings. In the spring, the birch tree is one of the first to awaken in the forest: there is still snow, and there are already thawed patches near it, orange catkins are swollen on the tree... And in the fall, the birch tree is among the first to rush to put on a beautiful golden headdress...
Birch is widely used in many sectors of the national economy. It is used to make parquet, plywood, household utensils and other products. Birch is resistant to gas and dust. It is of great importance for air purification, therefore it is successfully used in landscaping and in the creation of recreational areas. Birch is the favorite tree of all Russian people. Slender, curly, with white hair, she was always compared in Rus' to a gentle and beautiful bride-girl. Poets and artists dedicated their best works to her. Birch is in songs, riddles, and fairy tales. She is dear to the Russian heart.( Annex 1 . Slide 8)

Reader.

I love Russian birch
Sometimes bright, sometimes sad,
In a bleached sundress,
With handkerchiefs in pockets,
With beautiful clasps
With green earrings.
I love how elegant she is
Dear, beloved,
Then clear, ebullient,
Then sad, crying.
I love Russian birch.
She's always with her friends
Bends low in the wind
And it bends, but does not break!
"Birch" by A. Prokofiev

2nd reader.

White birch
Below my window
Covered with snow
Exactly silver.
On fluffy branches
Snow border
The brushes have blossomed
White fringe.
And the birch tree stands
In sleepy silence,
And the snowflakes are burning
In golden fire.
And the dawn is lazy
Walking around
Sprinkles branches
New silver.
S. Yesenin.

The Birch dance is performed by a group of girls.

Teacher. Lovers met near the birches and sang suffering. ( Annex 1 . Slide 9)

Oh you, white birch,
There is no wind, and you are making noise.
My heart is zealous
There is no grief, but you are in pain.
I loved and love
Your eyes are blue
I'm still under the pigeon.
Come to me, little bastard,
I'll show you the path
On curly birch trees
I'll tie it with a ribbon.

1st presenter. That's how many poems and songs. And there are also riddles:

1. Which tree has two barks instead of one? (On a birch tree) It’s white and thin on top, and black and clumsy underneath.
Question? Why do we need white stripes on black bark? (The tree needs black stripes on the white bark so that the tree can breathe through them)

2. What is the name of birch bark? (Birch bark)
Question? Why birch bark is so loved by scientists and historians. (In ancient times, when parchment was expensive, they wrote on birch bark. Birch bark letters have reached us, after reading which, learned historians were able to learn a lot about the life of our ancestors.)

3. There is a curly tree, there are 5 areas on this tree.

1st area - ill health,
2nd area - a broken fortress,
3rd area - the sea is worn out,
4th area - a threat to the small one,
5th site – night light. (Broom, birch bark, broken dishes tied together with birch bark, whip, splinter)

Teacher. Artists have depicted Russian birch in their paintings.( Annex 1 . Slide 10)
Question? Who can name these artists? (Plastov, Levitan, Kuindzhi and Savrasov).

1st presenter. Writer V.M. Garshin looking at the painting by A.K. Savrasov “The rooks have arrived”( Annex 1 . Slide 11) said: “I would call this picture “Feeling of the Motherland.” And indeed, when you look at this canvas, you experience a painfully piercing feeling of unity with your Fatherland. And the spring ringing drops, and the haze, and thin birch trees - all this is so familiar and so dear. And this amazing picture gives birth to love for Russia, the Motherland.

Reader.

You are so beautiful, little birch!
And at noon it’s hot, and in the hours of dew,
That Russia is unthinkable without you.
And I can’t imagine without your beauty.

2nd presenter. In front of the painting “Birch Grove” by A.I. Kuindzhi ( Annex 1 . Slide 12) you experience special joy. This is what happens when you enter a birch grove on a summer day and feel the beauty of your homeland. Around there are green-haired, quiet and silent birch trees, filled with its juices.

Reader.

My Rus'! I love your birches!
Since those years I grew up and lived with them,
That's why tears come
On eyes weaned from tears.

1st presenter. Before us is a picture by I.I. Levitan "Birch Grove". ( Annex 1 . Slide 13)
White-trunked birches covered with young bright green foliage, a thick carpet of emerald grass, and the sun's rays cannot leave anyone indifferent. The painting captivates with its freshness and play of colors, the thrill of life itself. I just want to read the lines:

Reader.

But a clearing, on a hill
Under the window, among the fields
White-winged birches are a symbol
My homeland.

You are so sweet to me
Until any dewdrop,
In your spaces
Silence slumbers,
Berezovaya, Russian Russia
Chamomile, kind country.

2nd presenter. We often talk about birch: slender, tall, curly. But for this tree to become such, it takes more than a dozen years. A little sprout needs to put in a lot of strength and perseverance to withstand all the hardships: winter cold and summer heat, heavy rains and prolonged drought.

Have you seen how birches are born?
Just like herbs:
stem and leaf.
In the middle of the day
or at the pink dawn,
the awakened east will blaze a little, -
look -
rose from the diapers
and, like a flimsy blade of grass, it stands
Russian birch little child
and not at all birch in appearance.
Not everyone will notice this baby,
into two or three barely opened leaves.
She has had bad times more than once since childhood:
then - bad weather,
then the earth is hard,
then - to block the sun
grass strives...
Oh, how much you have to experience and endure in life,
to be slim and curly
and become a white birch tree!

1st presenter. But your heart aches more when you see a crippled tree. After all, it is alive!

Reader.

In the spring heat the boy is angry
Pierced the birch bark with a knife -
And drops of juice, like tears, -
Flowed in a transparent stream.
The shepherd cut the bark of a birch tree,
Leaning over, he sips the sweetish juice.
Drop after drop drips into the sand
Birch blood, transparent as tears.
And now she, growing cold from the torment, will wither by next spring.
The trunk will dry up and the branches will go numb,
And the roots in the depths will die.

Teacher. From time immemorial, Rus', Russia, has been a peasant country, where labor and need, grief and joy were combined... The birch is truly a peasant tree. It resembles a calico scarf, a whitewashed hut, a Russian stove, a linen shirt, a rug. The thick trunks of birch trees resemble calloused peasant hands that do any hard work. And young, thin, straight birches look like slender, flexible-waisted, light-haired Russian girls with light brown braids.
How does a peasant communicate with birch trees?

Stills from the film “Kalina Krasnaya”(Appendix 2 , Appendix 3 )

2nd presenter. What Russian person doesn’t love the beautiful birch tree? She promises the weary the desired rest, and gives shade to the thirsty for coolness.
What does birch mean to our school workers? Let's listen to their statements. (Extracts from interviews taken by students from teachers and other school staff about birch are read out.)

1st presenter. Palm trees, baobabs, coffee trees... these names are associated with distant countries. But it is impossible to imagine our Motherland without the birch tree, the white-trunked beauty. ( Annex 1 . Slide 14)

Reader.

I can’t imagine Russia without birch, -
She is so bright in Slavic,
That perhaps in other centuries
From the birch tree - all of Rus' was born.

Oleg Shestinsky

Teacher. Wherever a birch tree grows, everywhere it brings joy and light.( Annex 1 . Slide 15) Birch is a symbol of Russia, our Motherland. And it will be in our open spaces forever, because our people are eternal, our Russian land is eternal!

Reader.

Again about them, curly and whitish...
What to do here if in Rus'
There are birches along all the roads,
At least a day, at least a year, at least an eternity of the wheel!

Teacher. We can talk about the white birch for a long time: this topic is inexhaustible. Hundreds of years will pass, but the birch will not lose its significance:
As in the old days, it will symbolize our immortal, glorious and mighty Motherland, whose name is RUSSIA.
Let's end our meeting with a poem by Vsevolod Rozhdestvensky and listen to his “Birch” ( Annex 1 . Slides 16-19)

Reader.

The sun warmed the slopes a little
And it became warmer in the forest.
Birch green braids
Hung from thin branches,
All dressed in a white dress
In earrings, in lace foliage,
Welcomes the hot summer
She is at the edge of the forest.
Her light outfit is wonderful
There is no tree dearer to my heart,
And so many thoughtful songs
People are singing about her!
He shares her joy and tears,
And she's so good
What seems - in the noise of a birch
Our soul is Russian.

V. Rozhdestvensky

The phonogram performed by the group “LUBE” and Sergei Bezrukov “Birches” is turned on.

Literature:

1. Barinova I. I. Geography of Russia. Nature, 8kl: Textbook for general education institutions. – M: Bustard, 1997, p. 110.
2. Sitdikova F. Birch is a symbol of Russia. Scenario of spring - summer holiday. G. Education of schoolchildren. No. 4, 2004.

Russia has long been called the birch land. They loved the birch, passed on beliefs about it, composed poems and songs, performed rituals and held round dances in the spring.

Let us remember the song “There was a birch tree in the field.” There are the words “break the white birch,” which, it turns out, does not mean at all that it is about to be broken. They broke a birch tree - bending its trunk to the ground and lovingly intertwining it with grass, the birch trunk is flexible and does not break. There was such a ritual before.

Birch is still very much loved in Russia and is called the Russian beauty. Although this tree is fragile in appearance, it has enormous internal strength and grows in North America, Japan, China, and many other countries.

Only birch was able to live in the tundra, withstanding any wind and frost. Scientists conducted an experiment and placed birch branches in a chamber with a temperature of minus 273 degrees. After which they were taken out, and after a while the frozen branches came to life.

By the way, Birches are not only white. There are about 65 other different species. For example, in Transbaikalia, the Daurian birch tree grows, which has dark birch bark. On the Kuril Islands and in Japan you can find “red birch”, whose wood is orange-red.

The Schmidt birch is amazing, which is also called iron birch, with very durable wood, which in some ways is not inferior to iron and even stronger than cast iron!

There is also a birch, which is called paper birch for its bright white bark, which is easily divided into thin strips. The common silver birch, or as it is also called, “weeping” birch, also has white bark.

Birch is the favorite tree of our people, personifying the Russian soul, a tree of extraordinary kindness. It is also called the tree of life. The esoteric teaching of trees connects with birch two runes of the Elder Futhark - Berkan and Uruz. Since time immemorial, the birch tree itself has been associated with fertility and healing magic; birch branches were used to impart fertility not only to the earth, but also to livestock and newlyweds. Cradles for newborns were made from birch wood (in almost all European countries!).

Symbolically and magically, the birch appears as a protection against all misfortunes, both physical and spiritual. Birch is extremely useful and very favorable in healing spells, spells aimed at strengthening the harvest. Birch branches (especially those that have just blossomed in spring) are rightly considered an excellent talisman, driving away sorrows and illnesses, protecting children from illnesses and many other troubles). Birch is gentle and compassionate, has a very soft, affectionate and at the same time strong influence. In contrast to oak, sick, weakened, and recovering people should turn to birch. It will ease suffering, help restore lost strength, make it easier to endure the disease, and speed up the healing process.

Communication with birch is useful for people with upset nerves and depression. This tree relieves fatigue, neutralizes the negative effects of everyday stress, and helps restore mental harmony. A birch tree growing next to the house drives away nightmares. The impact of this tree is long lasting. It’s better not to come to it, but to live nearby, then it can heal you. Birch has always been credited with the ability to ward off evil spirits.

Why is birch bark white?

In the woody layer, which only birch has. It's called birch bark.

Birch bark is white, with long black stripes. Scientists have found in it a substance that is found only in birch, and it is this that colors the birch bark white. It was named betulin, using the Latin name for birch. It is believed that it is this that gives birch such resistance to frost.

In addition, betulin has an antimicrobial effect because it contains silver ions that have this property. Therefore, walks in a birch grove are very useful, and various medicines are made from birch.

To do this, carefully take from the birch, so as not to harm the tree, the leaves, bark, sap and buds with which the birch is strewn in the spring.

WHY IS THE WHITE BIRCH

Throughout the life of a birch, from youth to old age, the bark that covers its trunk changes greatly in appearance. A small birch tree, which is no higher than the knee, has a trunk covered with brownish bark. A middle-aged birch tree has pure white bark with black streaks that run across the trunk. During this period, the trees are especially elegant. An old birch tree that is reaching the end of its life has a trunk covered with spotted black and white bark. White islands of birch bark are scattered against a general black background. This spotty picture results from the fact that the tree grows thicker and deep cracks form in the bark. They are overgrown not with birch bark, but with other protective fabrics that are dark in color. Birch bark is preserved only in the spaces between cracks.

Our entire further story will be about birch bark. The main purpose of birch bark is to protect the internal living tissues of the trunk from drying out. This is precisely its main, vital role for the tree. And the birch bark is designed in such a way that it protects the trunk well from water loss. It fully serves its purpose. The birch bark cells fit together very tightly, like well-laid bricks. There are no gaps between them - intercellular spaces. In addition, the cells are firmly connected, firmly glued together. The cell walls are impregnated with a special fat-like substance that does not allow water to pass through. All this ensures the preservation of moisture inside the trunk.

Birch bark grows in thickness every year. Over the years it becomes thicker and thicker. But the increase each year is small - like a sheet of ordinary writing paper. Interestingly, the growth comes from within. Therefore, the youngest layers are located deepest, while the oldest, on the contrary, lie on the surface. The outer layers are often partially shed in the form of fragments of a thin white film that are fluttered by the wind.

When we tear off a piece of birch bark, we notice that it is thin-layered. Each layer is the growth of one year. The individual layers are tightly welded together, forming a single whole. Birch bark looks like a thin book with many pages stuck together.

Now about coloring birch bark. Why is she white! The fact is that birch bark cells contain a special white coloring substance. Therefore, the birch trunk gets dirty. If you touch a birch tree in dark clothes, it will leave a mark like chalk. So, in this case, whiteness is due to a special substance. This phenomenon is very rare in the plant world. As a rule, in plants the situation is completely different. Nature almost always does without any white paint. There are many examples of this kind. The white petals of the flowers of bird cherry, apple tree, lily of the valley and other plants do not contain any special dye. The petal cells are completely colorless and transparent, like tiny droplets of water. But between them there are intercellular spaces filled with air. These microscopic voids reflect light and give the appearance of a white color. There is a complete analogy with snow. Individual snowflakes are completely colorless and transparent, but snow is white. This is explained by the fact that there are air gaps between the snowflakes. Moisten the snow with water - it will immediately lose its white color.

So, white color in plants is very common, and white paint is extremely rare, as an exception. This unusual phenomenon can only be observed in birch trees.

There are many more interesting things that can be said about birch bark. One cannot help but remember, for example, that this is the material on which our ancestors wrote. Birch bark letters were widespread in ancient Novgorod. Birch bark is like a kind of ancient Russian papyrus.

Tar was previously extracted from birch bark, which was widely used in everyday life. A large quantity was needed.

And remember that various household items are made from birch bark - all kinds of boxes, baskets, baskets, etc. This handicraft has survived to this day.

Finally, birch bark is very good for lighting stoves and fires. It is a very flammable material. This property can be useful to us now. With the help of birch bark you can, for example, make a fire even during rain. And sometimes it is necessary.

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“We have a birch tree in every song, a birch tree under every window,” is sung in a beautiful song by composer A. Ponomarenok based on poems by M. Agashina. And it’s hard to argue with this - this tree has truly become a kind of symbol of our country. The attitude towards the birch has always been special - for example, it was an important “character” in the Semik rites, which in the Christian era coincided with the holiday of the Holy Trinity, and even in the Orthodox Church the custom of bringing birch branches to the temple on this holiday has been preserved...

The unusualness of this tree lies primarily in the color of the bark - it is not easy to find another tree with white bark! True, not all types of birch have this feature - for example, in Transbaikalia, the Daurian birch with dark bark grows, on the Kuril Islands and in Japan - red birch, which received this name because of its red-orange color... But in our area, birches are white with black spots.

Why birches are white was explained by the outstanding Russian chemist T.E. Lovitz (1754-1804). He isolated a crystalline organic substance from birch bark, which was named betulin (from the Latin name of birch - betula).

Betulin is a white resinous substance that fills the cavities of the cells of birch cork tissue - this is what gives birch bark its white color. After all, the content of betulin in it is enormous: in different types of birch it ranges from 14% to 44%. What does such an evolutionary acquisition give the tree?

First of all, betulin is rich in silver ions. And silver, as is known, has bactericidal properties, so betulin is a wonderful natural antiseptic that protects the tree from infections. It is not for nothing that birch has long been known as a medicinal plant - its juice was used to treat skin diseases, as well as colds. However, the matter is not limited to this: tea from birch buds is an excellent diuretic, a tonic drink rich in vitamins was prepared from its leaves, and people living near a birch grove get sick an order of magnitude less thanks to the volatile bactericidal substances of this tree. For the same reason, people with weak lungs are advised to take more walks in birch groves.

But let's return to betulin. It not only protects against bacteria, it is also directly related to the property of birch, such as frost resistance - it was this that helped this tree take root in cold Russia all the way to the tundra. The frost resistance of birch is truly amazing: during laboratory experiments, birch branches restored their viability after being in a chamber with a temperature of minus 273 degrees!

So, we've sorted out the white color - but what about the black spots?

They are called lentils. The fact is that neither water nor gases pass through the top layer of birch bark - birch bark. This is also a protective property, but such protection could “strangle” the tree if it did not have an “entrance gate” through which the tree can breathe. These “entrance gates” are the lentils with their loose tissue.

As you can see, the fact that it was the birch that became the “Russian beauty” is quite natural: this tree is perfectly adapted to life in our harsh climate.

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Why is the beautiful white canvas of a birch trunk pierced with black stripes? Everything is very simple. The fact is that the birch bark is very dense, the cells of the bark are so close to each other that they form a dense, almost impenetrable layer; with such a structure of the bark, air simply could not flow to the living cells of the trunk. This is where the black stripes on the birch trunk come to the rescue - these are lentils. Beneath them there is a looser structure, the intercellular distance in which is much greater. Air freely penetrates the living cells of the trunk, providing the birch with the process of respiration.

The white bark of birches is the result of the tree containing a rare white pigment called betulin. The more of this pigment the bark contains, the lighter it looks. It is not yet completely clear why birch trees need betulin. It has many interesting functions, including fungicidal. So, most likely, betulin is formed in the bark of birches to protect the bark from fungi, and these trees receive the white color as a free supplement.

Besides birch trees, only a small number of plants have betulin, but this does not mean that other plants have not invented other ways to take care of themselves. Indeed, in addition to betulin, plants produce a huge range of protective substances that act on fungi, protozoa, and bacteria - for example, the famous phytoncides, which are rich in onions and garlic. Poisons that protect plants from herbivores are also common, for example, castor bean ricin and atropine henbane. In general, plants have invented many different ways to fend for themselves, and birch betulin is just one of them.

Other interesting features of betulin include its ability to trigger apoptosis of cells of certain types of tumors, reduce the size of atherosclerotic plaques, and also promote weight loss in obese people. Hundreds of scientific papers have been devoted to research into the properties of betulin that are useful for medicine. So the white color of birches is not the only interesting consequence of these trees’ attempts to protect themselves from fungal infections.

By the way, not all birch trees have a white trunk. For example, the Schmidt birch and the Daurian birch, which grow in our Far East, have a dark trunk. And the cherry birch, which is native to North America, is cherry red.

But for a tree, such a “shell” is not only beneficial, but can also cause harm by simply strangling a living plant. The core of a birch trunk needs to breathe. This is where black stripes come to the rescue. These are the so-called " lentils“- areas of the bark with a looser air- and moisture-permeable structure. The older the tree gets, the more noticeable the “lentils” become.

Through them the tree breathes, as if through pores. Old birch trees often have bark dotted with deep black furrows, like wrinkles on a human face, while young trees have almost all of their bark white, soft and silky, like the skin of a baby. Nothing happens “just like that” in nature; even the color of birch bark is important for the plant.

1. There are about one hundred species of birch trees on our planet. In Russia, this tree species is one of the most common (see interesting facts about forests).
2. Birch buds and leaves are actively used in medicine as an antipyretic, bactericidal, diuretic and wound-healing agent.
3. The image of the birch tree is widespread in the culture of the Slavs, Finno-Ugrians, Scandinavians and some other peoples.
4. The word “birch” in the Proto-Slavic language is derived from the verb “to turn white, to lighten.”
5. Most birches grow up to 30-45 meters with a trunk girth of up to 150 centimeters. There are also shrubs in this genus that barely rise from the ground.
6. Birch seeds are extremely light - 5000 seeds weigh about 1 gram, so the wind can carry them a great distance from the mother tree.
7. Most birches tolerate permafrost well and grow far beyond the Arctic Circle.
8. Birch trees can grow in almost any soil - wet, swampy, dry and rocky.
9. The average lifespan of birch trees is about 100 years, although some trees live up to 400 years or more.
10. The stag beetle, the largest beetle in Europe, lives in the wood of birches (see interesting facts about insects).
11. Some types of mushrooms grow exclusively under birch trees - these are boletus, birch porcini mushroom, black milk mushroom and pink trumpet, as well as some varieties of russula.
12. Orthodox Christians often decorate churches and houses with birch branches on Trinity Day.
13. Birch leaves and alum produce yellow dye for wool.
14. In the past, birch beams were often used to illuminate peasant huts, because this wood burns brightly and produces almost no smoke.
15. Birch firewood is considered the best.
16. Birch brooms are not only an obligatory attribute of Russian baths, but also feed for livestock, which is prepared for the winter.
17. It is not recommended to erect any buildings from birch logs, because the wood quickly begins to rot.
18. Birch wood is used to make skis, toys, plywood and gun stocks. Burls (growths that form on different parts of birch trees), due to the beautiful grain of the wood, are used for cutting snuff boxes, cigarette cases, caskets and decorative furniture parts.
19. Birch bark (birch bark) is an excellent material for weaving baskets, bast shoes, baskets and boxes.
20. In ancient times, birch bark was used as paper - it is not afraid of moisture, thanks to which many records from the 11th–15th centuries have survived to this day.
21. The peoples inhabiting the Far East and North make boats from birch bark and build their own dwellings (chums).
22. Birch sap, which begins to be collected after the first spring thaw, is used to prepare a variety of drinks. One large tree can produce more than a bucket of sap per day without harming itself.
23. According to ancient folk beliefs, the smell of birch helps protect against the evil eye and saves from melancholy. It was also believed that birch sap, collected on certain days in March and April, could cleanse the blood.
24. When birch leaves decompose, substances are formed that stimulate the growth of other plants.