  Making an Elder Whistle   Please Note Elder wood is said to
contain toxins, I feel I should mention this, however in my
opinion the whistles are quite safe to use, perhaps children
should use with caution and should be discouraged from excessive
use.  (If you prefer, whistles can be made from other hollow
wood such as bamboo which is perfectly safe. If you choose other
wood types check their toxicity first.)  Whistles have been made
from Elder for generations and I have never heard of anyone
coming to any harm.    In this article I have used freshly cut
Elder wood which is still green, however It is best to use dry
dead wood, otherwise the wood may shrink and cause the whistle
to stop working. For best results pick a stem of suitable elder
and leave to dry out before making the whistle.  We are taking
advantage of elder wood because it has a very soft pith which
can be easily removed to create a hollow tube.  For tree ID
purposes I have taken these photos of some Elder. The picture on
the left shows typical