TREES OF AMERICA. 35 



about oak-trees, and it is time for you to go 

 home to your suppers, for the crows are flying 

 away to the woods, and the sun is almost 

 down." 



" Well, indeed, Uncle Philip, you have told 

 us a great deal that we did not know ; who 

 would have thought that a tree was so useful 

 and good for so many things 1" 



" Every thing in the world is useful, boys ; 

 and it is our business to find out what every 

 thing in the world is good for. People are 

 making discoveries every day, and I think it 

 quite likely that when you are as old as I am, 

 you will laiow a great deal more about an 

 oak than I or cm y other man can tell you 

 now. Perhaps some of you may find out 

 something new and exceedingly useful ; but 

 to do this, you must learn what other men have 

 discovered, while you are young, and never 

 pass any thing by as not w^orth examining, 

 however humble or useless it may appear. 

 The bark of an oak seems to be good for no- 

 thing ; but you see that without it your shoes 

 would not last half so long, or keep out the 

 water as well as they do ; the branch of an 

 oak you would pass by as worthless ; yet from 

 it is made one of the ingredients of gunpow- 



