226 TREE ANCESTORS 



de\'il-wood (Osmanthus) in the early Eocene of western Tennessee 

 indicates that this genus also is an ancient one that formerly 

 migrated between Asia and North America at a time when climates 

 were more suitable for such a migration than they are at the pres- 

 ent time, a time when a land bridge united the two continents 

 across the present Behring Sea region. 



The ashes have handsome, usually compound leaves consisting 

 of a greater or less number of separate leaflets arranged in a pinnate 

 manner on a central stipe. Their leaves are thus similar to those 

 of the walnuts and hickories, but may readily be distinguished 

 by their opposite arrangement on the branches — the walnut and 

 hickory leaves being arranged in an alternate manner. 



The generic name Fraxinus for the ash genus is derived from 

 the classical name of the European ash, and the common name 

 doubtless refers to the ashy color of its branches. Ash flowers 

 are not conspicuous but the winged fruits, technically known as 

 samaras, are borne in panicles and are flmihar to all that tramp 

 the fall woods, each fruit resembhng a tiny canoe paddle. 



Ruskin with his characteristic unbalanced enthusiasm said that 

 there is no lovlier tree in the world than the common ash. Fully 

 appreciative of the beauty of the ash I must say that I have seen 

 many more lovely trees. The more practical Evelyn says of the 

 common ash of England: "In peace and war it is a wood in the 

 highest request." Toughness and strength go along with elegance 

 and this is reflected in the Norse legend that Yggdrasil (the ash) 

 was the tree which upheld the heavens and that out of it Odin made 

 the first man — a hint of the early tree worship cult among the 

 Norsemen. It is shown also in the old English custom of passing 

 children through ash woods or through a split ash tree as a cure 

 for the rickets. 



The wood is tough, straight grained and that of some of the 

 species is a most valuable timber. In Britain ash lumber ranks 

 next to that of the oak in importance. In this country ash is one 

 of the leading commercial hardwoods and the annual cut which 

 amounts to about $10,000,000 in value probably exceeds the annual 

 growth increase in the supply, so that soon we will be obliged to 



