TREES OF AMERICA. 67 



you may suppose, the curled wood is only 

 used in making furniture, and ornamental 

 work, such as panels for rooms, and the 

 stocks of fowling-pieces, and picture-frames, 

 and the like. The plain wood is very good 

 for spinning-wheels, and all kinds of ma- 

 chinery that does not require much strength, 

 and saddle-trees, and wooden shovels and 

 bowls, and all such light articles. Before 

 mahogany came into fashion, this wood was 

 very much used for making bureaus, and 

 tables, and all kinds of furniture ; and very 

 handsome they Avere, too. But it does not 

 last as long as mahogany." 



".Is the bark good for any thing. Uncle 

 Philip ?" 



" Yes, the country people make a very dark 

 blue die of it ; almost black." 



" The wood is not good for burning I be- 

 lieve." 



" No, very bad ; it burns away too fast, and 

 does not make good coals : and it is not es- 

 teemed for building or fencing stuiF either, 

 because it is very soon destroyed by worms." 



" I suppose they make sugar from the sap ?" 



" Yes ; but, like the white maple, the pro- 

 portion of sugar got from a certain quantity 



