52 CONVERSATIONS ON THE 



largest I ever saw are in New^Jersey, on the 

 high banks of the Hudson, nearly opposite 

 New- York, where the scJil is very poor, and 

 cold, and stony. Some of them are four or 

 five feet thick, and fifty feet high. They 

 grow very well, too, in Vermont and New- 

 Hampshire, where the black walnut does not 

 thrive at all. In fact, the butternuts seem to 

 flourish all over the United States except at 

 the south ; the climate is too warm for them 

 there, and there you see another instance of 

 the wisdom with which God directs every 

 thing. The butternut is very oily, and, as 

 you said a little while ago, it is not good until 

 a long time after it gets ripe ; but, being so 

 oily, it would soon become rancid in a hot 

 climate, and so there is no use in its growing 

 there. And now, boys, for the hickories." 



" Ah, we are always glad to meet them. 

 Uncle Philip ; they are old friends." 



" And yet, I dare say, you cannot tell m^ 

 now many there are of them." 



" Oh yes, but we can though ; there is the 

 kisky thomas nut, and the pignut, and the 

 shelbark, and the plain hickory ; four sorts^ 

 Uncle Philip." 



"Yes, and four more, boys. There are 



