TREES OF AMERICA. 47 



takes a fine polish, and is very handsome 

 when it is made up ; and for all these good 

 qualities it is a favourite wood with the cabi- 

 net-makers. Then, it is seldom injured by 

 sea- worms, which, you know, do a great deal 

 of mischief to the bottoms of vessels ; and 

 therefore it is a great deal used in ship-building. 

 In some parts of the country they make tim- 

 ber for houses out of the black walnut ; and 

 shingles, and the stocks of muskets are made 

 of it ; and I have heard that there is no sort 

 of wood that bears the shock and strain of 

 the firing as well as this. In Virginia they 

 make posts of it, in preference to any other, 

 because it will last a very long time in the 

 ground without rotting ; from twenty to 

 twenty-five years, which is much longer than 

 any other wood, except the locust, and the 

 cedar, and the cypress ; it is very good, too, 

 for the naves of wheels, and in Philadelphia, 

 coffins are made of it almost entirely." \ 



"Is not the husk good for something, 

 Uncle Philip ? for dying, or something like 

 that ? I know that it stains the hands very 

 much ; I have had my fingers so black with 

 it that I could not wash it away, and it lasted 

 several days." 



