130 CONVERSATIONS ON THE 



" It is not as useful as the oak, is it, sir ?" 

 " No ; that is, it is not appKed to as many 

 purposes ; but it has a great many merits. 

 It grows all over the United States, except in 

 the northern parts ; but the largest trees are 

 found in the fertile lands of the Western States, 

 where .they are often seen eighty feet high, 

 and four feet thick: in this neighbourhood, 

 you know, it never attains half that size. 

 There are five kinds of locust, but I suppose 

 you have never seen any except what is 

 called the sweet or honey locust, which is 

 common enough all about here." 



" Oh yes, we know that kind very well, 

 Uncle Philip ; it has small leaves, and long 

 sharp thorns, and small white flowers that 

 are very sweet ; and after the flowers are 

 gone, the tree bears long flat pods, like pea- 

 pods, only a great deal longer and wider, and 

 of a dark red colour, almost black ; and these 

 pods have little brown beans in them, that 

 are almost as hard as stone." 



" And is there nothing else peculiar about 

 it ? What is it that gives it its name ?" 

 " Oh, the honey that grows in the pod." 

 " Very true ; the most common of all the 

 kinds is called simply the locust ; and it is 



