CHAPTER XIV.

THE FORESTS.

March—Clinton’s good conduct—An excursion proposed—Preparations—The outfit—An early start—Their destination—The forests—Plenty of wood—Its scarcity in Europe—Great stumps—A variety of trees—Their uses—Virtues of birch—Incident in Mr. Davenport’s school days—The oil of birch—Curious properties of the birch tree—Uncle Tim’s clearing, 186