Mike I see it now...

Simple hypothesis: old abrasion wounds from shipping, tying, bracing,
rubbing, etc. Latent for a time, but eventually killed the cambium which lie
dead under the bark until the bark later sloughed off. Healing from the
sides as you'd expect...probably not a big deal.

More esoteric hypothesis: The result of a cambium-mining fly (actually a
family of flies) that often effect birches in our neck of the woods. The
pattern of damage sure augurs for this idea....

But once again...CAN WE HAVE A BIT MORE INFO re location, state, source,
history, etc....
--
Mike LaMana, MS
Heartwood Consulting Services, LLC
Toms River, NJ


www.HeartwoodConsulting.net

"Mike" wrote in message
news:2004032616332516807%mike@nospamesandanet...
On 2004-03-26 16:24:15 -0600, "Mike LaMana"
fake@MikeatHeartwoodConsultingdotnet said:

I couldn't access either picture...