A boil, in the peculiar dialect of Brooklyn, The Bronx and parts of Manhattan, is a "burl." It is only a coincidence, however, that the rare and curious burls from which the gaudiest veneers for furniture are made result from a tree disease somewhat similar to boils. Nobody knows what causes burls, as nobody knows what causes cancer. They form most often underground where the roots join the tree. Burl diggers notice a slight swelling of the trunk at the ground level, dig down, chop off the roots and lift out the burl. The...
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