'70 TREES. 



The nut is a fine addition to the table. The prunus 

 virginiana, or wild cherry, is equally good, if not 

 .superior ; and nothing but attention to polish is 

 wanting to render furniture of this kind equal to 

 any imported. The berries of this tree put in 

 spirits make a salubrious drink. I have no doubt, 

 but that other wood of excellent adaptation to the 

 purposes of furniture, will be discovered. Maho- 

 gony was not introduced into use until 150 years 

 after the first settlement of Jamaica. 



Pownall, in his topographical description of 

 North America, states it as the opinion of his friend 

 Mr. Pratt, that the juice which can be drawn by 

 incision from the poison vine is that material which 

 the Chinese and Japanese make their verjuice with. 

 This is the rhus miscrocorpar of Pursh, and is pro- 

 bably confounded with the rhus vernix which is 

 adjudged to be the true varnish tree described by 

 Ksempfer in tiie Am^enitates exoticse by the name 

 of sitz-dsin, and which grows all over this coun- 

 try as well as in Japan. 



In a word, my dear sir, the people of America 

 are furnislied, by the bounty of heaven, with every 

 accommodation and comfort, and with a copious 

 supply of the utile dulci. Their artisans are inge- 

 nious and industrious — their materials for fabrics 

 abundant in quantity and good in quality. Why 

 then should they resort to the workshops of 



