20 CONVERSATIONS ON THE 



penter-work that are much exposed to get 

 wet ; so I suppose it is good for building ships, 

 is it not, Uncle Philip T 



" Yes, excellent ; and the knees, and frames, 

 and all the large and most important timbers 

 of vessels of all kinds, are generally of this 

 wood. In England, where trees are not as 

 plenty as they are with us, oaks are worth a 

 great deal of money, and people make a busi- 

 ness of planting them on purpose for the 

 government. You know that the English 

 have more ships of war than any other nation 

 in the world ; and they take a great deal of 

 pains, and go to great expense, in getting the 

 best timber they can find for their navy." 



"Ah, then, I suppose they do not burn oak 

 wood in England, as we do ; it would cost too 

 much money." 



" No, indeed ; wood of all kinds is too 

 scarce in that country to be much used for 

 fires ; but they have plenty of coal, and in 

 some parts of the country they burn a great 

 deal of turf. Wood is becoming scarce in 

 some parts of the United States, too, near the 

 great cities ; and there is not near as much 

 oak used for fuel now as there was several 

 years ago. In Philadelphia and New- York 



