164 Select Plants for Industrial Culture 



such as the frames of machines, carriage-wheels, agricultural imple- 

 ments, pick-handles, billiard-cues, fishing-rods, handles, chair-rails, 

 shafts, staves, pulley-blocks, belaying-pins and oars; also for furniture 

 and musical instruments. The young branches are utilized for mast- 

 hoops. Baron von Mueller and Mr. J. G. Luehmann found the 

 strength greater than that of our Blackwood-tree and of many 

 Eucalypts, but not equal to that of E. Leucoxylon, E. siderophloia, E. 

 polyanthema, the best E. globulus and hickory. Over-old wood not 

 desirable. When once thoroughly seasoned, it does not shrink or 

 swell, and is therefore preferred for flooring to any native timber in 

 Virginia (Robb, Simmonds). The inner bark furnishes a yellow dye. 

 The Red Ash (Fraxinus pubescens, Lamarck) and the Carolina- Ash 

 (F. platycarpa, Michaux) are of smaller size, but F. pubescens may 

 sometimes also become large. 



Fraxinus Chinensis, Roxburgh. 



It is this Ash, on which a peculiar wax is produced by .Coccus 

 Pela, perhaps also on some species of Ligustrum. About 40,000 Ibs. 

 are exported, anually according to Bernardini. F. Mandschurica 

 (Ruprecht) attains a height of 60 feet and a stem-diameter of 4 feet. 



Fraxinus excelsior, C. Bauhin.* 



The ordinary Ash of Europe and Western Asia, extending to the 

 Himalayas and Thibet, there ascending to 9,000 feet. A tree of com- 

 paratively quick growth, known to attain an age of nearly 200 years. 

 It is a very hardy tree, braving the winters of Norway to lat. 69 40', 

 though there only a shrub ; but in lat. 61 12' it attained still a height 

 of 100 feet and a stem-diameter of 5 feet (Schuebeler). Rich soil 

 on forest-rivulets or river-banks suits it best, although it also thrives 

 on moist sand. Wood remarkably tough and elastic, used for agricul- 

 tural and other implements, handles, ladders, drum-hoops, carriage- 

 work, oars, axle-trees and many other purposes. -Six peculiar kinds 

 of Ash-trees occur in Japan, some also in the Indian highlands; all 

 might be tried for industrial culture. 



Fraxinus noribunda, Don. 



Nepal-Ash. Himalaya, between 4,000 and 11,000 feet. It attains 

 a height of 120 feet, girth of stem sometimes 15 feet. Serves not 

 only as a timber-tree, but also as a fine avenue-tree. The wood much 

 sought for oars, ploughs and various implements (Stewart and 

 Brandis). For forest-plantations Ashes are best mixed with beeches 

 and some other trees. 



Fraxinus Oregana, Nuttall. 



Californian and Oregon-Ash. A tree, reaching 80 feet in height, 

 preferring low-lying alluvial lands. The wood of this fine species is 

 nearly white, very tough and durable, often used for oars and handles 

 of implements, also in carriage-building. Though allied to F. sam- 

 bucifolia, it is very superior as a timber-tree. Ash-trees will grow 

 . readily in the shade of other trees. 



