894 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



The Manchurian ash is the representative of the common ash in eastern Asia, 

 and is very similar in appearance to F. nigra? being mainly distinguishable by the 

 longer points to the leaflets, which are more tapering at the base, often shortly 

 stalked, and usually more sharply serrate. (A. H.) 



F. mandshurica is widely spread throughout Manchuria, Amurland, Korea, 

 Saghalien, and Japan, and is a large tree, Ruprecht having measured specimens 

 at the mouth of the Ussuri 12 feet in girth. 



In Japan this fine ash is known as yachidamo, and is one of the commonest 

 trees in Hokkaido, but is only known to occur in the north of the main island. 

 I did not see it in Aomori or Akita. It seems to grow best in Hokkaido in the 

 deep rich flats of black alluvial soil which are now being rapidly brought under 

 cultivation by the Japanese settlers, but even here seldom attains the dimensions of 

 the European ash ; the average size of the trees in the virgin forests being from 

 80 to 100 feet high by "6 to 8 feet in girth, though no doubt, if they had room 

 to spread they would grow much thicker than this. The general habit of the tree 

 and of its leaves and seed is very similar to that of F. excelsior, and the wood 

 also seems similar, but it is not apparently used for the same purposes as in Europe. 

 A great quantity of it is made into railway sleepers, which are now being exported 

 largely to Korea and China, and which, if I can judge from what I saw on the 

 Hokkaido railroads, will not last very long unless creosoted. There is, however, 

 a particularly handsome variety of this wood, which seems to be found only near 

 the butt and on the outside of old trees growing in damp places, which goes by 

 the name of Tamu, and which, if known in Europe would certainly command a high 

 price for veneers. A large wardrobe, which has been made for me from Japanese 

 woods, is fronted with veneer cut from a billet of this wood, which I brought home 

 in 1904, and is extremely handsome; showing a figure like that of the best 

 Hungarian ash but of a pale pinkish -brown colour. This wood is much used in 

 Japan for veneering railway carriages, for doors, and for the posts used for 

 supporting and for fitting the sliding screens of Japanese houses. It is liable 

 to warp, however, and requires very careful seasoning to prevent cracking. 



F. mandshurica was introduced 2 at Kew in 1891 from the St. Petersburg 

 Botanic Garden ; but only one plant now survives, which has a stunted and unhealthy 

 appearance. Like many plants from Manchuria and Amurland, the foliage appears 

 early in the spring, and is badly injured by late frosts every year. I have raised 

 seedlings from seed sent me from Japan by Professor Shirasawa, but they are too 

 young to judge of the probable success of the tree in England. 



Sargent, however, says 3 that this tree has proved perfectly hardy in the Arnold 

 Arboretum, where it has been introduced for some years. He considers it one of 

 the noblest of all the ashes, and one of the most valuable timber trees of Eastern 

 Asia. None of the other ashes of Japan, so far as I saw, attain any great size, or 

 are likely to have any economic value in Europe. (H. J. E.) 



1 Lingehheim, in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. xl. 223 (1907), unites this species with F. nigra, of which he considers the 

 Manchurian tree to be only a geographical variety. 



2 The St. Petersburg plants were probably raised from seed from Amurland. Cf. Gartcnflora, xxvii. 13 (1879). 

 * Forest Flora of Japan, 52 (1894). 



