THE ASH-LEAVED MAPLE AND THE ASHES. 249 



lands, and is distributed from Maine to northern 

 Minnesota ; southward it extends to the mountains of 

 Virginia, and southwestward to central Missouri and 

 northwestern Arkansas. The light, brownish wood is 

 soft and has a handsome grain. It is used for the 

 interior finish of houses, and for cabinet-work and 

 barrel hoops. The pliable and tough wood of young 

 saplings I have found very useful for ribs in the con- 

 struction of a river canoe. Soaked in hot water, it is 

 quite surprising to see -how much bending and twist- 

 ing a strip of young black ash will bear before it 

 breaks. 



The European ash (Fraxinus excelsior), which is 

 sometimes found in parks and gardens, has from 

 eleven to thirteen leaflets (a lesser number in some 

 varieties), which are deep green, broad, lance-shaped, 

 and toothed. The seed, like that of the black ash, is 

 also winged all around. The weeping ash (var. pen- 

 dula) is one of the most beautiful forms of this 

 species. 



