TRKKB OF AMKKK'A. 109 



know what tree they came fruni before. 

 Why is it called sweet gum, Uncle Philip ?" 



" If you had ever examined the tree in 

 warm weather, you would know without 

 asking ; by .cutting through the bark into the 

 sap, you will find a sweet smelling liquor 

 oozing out, which hardens into a transparent 

 gum when exposed to the air, and the same 

 substance is found on the leaves." 



" And is this gum good for any thing, Uncle 

 Philip ? Is it like the gum arabic that I have 

 seen at the druggists ?" 



" I dare say it has the same properties ; but 

 the quantity that can be got from a tree is so 

 very small that it is not worth the trouble of 

 collecting it. The wood is strong and tough, 

 and if properly seasoned, lasts longer than the 

 red oak, but it is not much used ; cabinet- 

 makers sometimes employ it, but they pre- 

 fer the black walnut, and the wild cherry. 

 In New- York, it is often made into coffins. 

 If you will examine one of the prickly balls 

 that grow on the tree, you will find that it is 

 formed of a great number of little cells, each 

 of which contains a small black seed, with a 

 sort of wing attached to it. At the close of 



K 



