TREES OF AMERICA. 177 



considerably smaller, too, and so, of course, 

 are the husks in which they are wrapped up : 

 the taste of the nuts is very pleasant, and I 

 never saw a little boy yet, or girl either, that 

 did not like them. 



" Uncle Philip, I should like to go into some 

 of the Southern States, on purpose to taste 

 those chincapins ; I have a suspicion that 

 they must be uncommonly nice." 



"I hope you may go there one of these 

 days, my child, when you are older ,* but I 

 trust it will be for something better and more 

 important than to eat chincapins. The great 

 object of travelling is to learn and improve 

 the mind, and not merely to gratify the appe- 

 tites. But to come back to our chincapin- 

 trees. 



" The wood is finer-grained, heavier, more 

 compact, and lasts longer than the chestnut ; 

 it is used for posts when trees large enough 

 can be got : the small branches are straight, 

 and very tough, and at the south, where the 

 red birch is not common, the twigs of the 

 chincapin are always used by the teachers of 

 schools to keep naughty boys in order. So 

 you sec that it is very useful. And now we 

 have done with the chestnuts," 



