72 TIMBER TREES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



with short hairs. The ash has numerous deep-seated lateral 

 roots. 



The wood is heavy, hard, strong, coarse-grained, tough, becom- 

 ing brittle with age; the heartwood brown ; the sapwood nearly 

 white. It is extensively used for agricultural implements, wagon- 

 making, handles, oars, cabinet and interior work, and by ship- 

 wrights, turners, and coopers. 



Large quantities have been sawed in the mountains of this 

 State, chiefly for lumber and furniture. Asheville, Dillsboro, and 

 Elk Park are important centres for the manufacture of ash lum- 

 ber. In 1892 about 8,000,000 feet was sawed in the mountain 

 counties and shipped mainly to Cincinnati and Philadelphia. 

 About as much more was manufactured during the same year in 

 other parts of the State. A large amount of white ash is still 

 standing in the mountain region and in some of the river 

 swamps of the eastern counties. 



Praxinus pennsyvanica, Marshall. 

 (RED ASH. ASH.) 



A tree of medium size, with stout, upright branches and 

 slightly furrowed dark gray or deep jbrown bark, reaching a 

 height of 60 feet and a diameter of 20 inches. 



It occurs in rich moist ground from New Brunswick to south- 

 ern Ontario and northern Minnesota, and southward to northern 

 Florida and central Alabama; attaining its best development in 

 the northern Atlantic states. It is rare west of the Alleghany 

 mountains. 



In this State, where it grows to a height of 50 to 60 feet, it is 

 confined to the Piedmont plateau. 



The red ash produces seed about as often as the white ash, 

 but seedlings are less common and confined principally to the 

 neighborhood of water courses. Numerous sprouts spring up 

 after cutting, but do not develop into large trees. Birch, white 

 oak and red maple usually form the growth after lumbering. 



The leaflets are 7 to 9 in number, obscurely toothed, narrowed 

 at the apex into long, slender points, lustrous on the upper sur- 



