TREES OF AMERICA. 40 



" Is the wood good for any thing, Uncle 

 Philip? I dare say it is, though; for every 

 part of a tree seems to have some use or 

 other." 



"It has one good quality of the black wal- 

 nut ; the worms do not destroy it. It lasts a 

 long time, too ; and therefore the farmers like 

 it to make their fences of: but it is not strong 

 enough for house-timber, or any other pur- 

 pose where strength is required. It is very 

 good for making wooden shovels, and bowls, 

 and dishes, not being apt to split ; and for the 

 same reason coach-makers like it for the pan- 

 els of carriages." 



" Uncle Philip, what do the doctors make 

 of butternut-bark? They use it for something, 

 I know, for one of the doctors in New- York 

 gets a great deal of it here every spring." 



" They make a very good medicine of it, 

 by boiling it in water, and then mixing the 

 decoction with honey. Do you know what 

 a decoction is ?" 



u Not exactly, I believe : I have heard father 

 speak of decoctions and infusions, but I do 

 not know what the difference is." 



" A decoction is when any thing is boiled 

 in water for the sake of some property which 



