168 CONVERSATIONS ON THE 



trouble, if they have no cabbage-tree wood to 

 make them of." 



" But they have what is better ; plenty of 

 stone : all those large docks you have read 

 of are built of a species of stone called Port- 

 land stone, that is soft when first taken out 

 of the quarries, and hardens by exposure to 

 water or air." 



" Ah, that is better than wood, certainly ; 

 why do not they make docks of stone in this 

 country, Uncle Philip ?" 



" Because they are much more expensive 

 than wooden ones ; but I hope they will be 

 made of stone before many years, at least in 

 all our principal cities ; and even in those parts* 

 of the country where they are made of cabbage- 

 tree wood, stone must be used before a very 

 great while, for the trees are becoming scarce. 



" The tree that I am going to tell you of 

 now is not properly a native of America, for 

 it came originally from Persia, which, as you 

 know, is a large country in Asia ; but it thrives 

 so well in the Southern States, and has be- 

 come so abundant, that it may almost be con- 

 sidered a natural production of the soil. It 

 is called the Pride of India. You have heard 

 of it, I dare say, and you may see it by going 



