TIMBER OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 103 



shafts, in short round pieces of small diameter, but it also 

 comes in square logs up to 18 inches a side and cut timber 

 7 to 20 inches wide, 2 to 3J thick. A good deal is used for 

 furniture and tram and carriage framing ; also for barrels, 

 baskets, oars, tool handles, etc. Amongst the varieties 

 are : 



American or White Ash (Fraxinus americana), found in 

 Canada, becomes scarce south of New Jersey. It is of a 

 very light brown colour, tough, elastic, straight in grain, 

 and the best material for oars. Slower in growth than 

 English ash, the annual rings are much closer, yet very 

 distinct. Second growth wood is preferred. 



Eed Ash (F. pubcncemi) , a timber very similar to, but 

 smaller than, white ash. 



Black Ash (F. sanibucifolia) is more widely distributed in 

 Canada than the white ash ; the wood is not so hard, but is 

 well suited for cooperage work and basket-making. It is 

 darker in colour than white ash, and is used for the same 

 purposes. 



Blue Ash of Ohio (F. quadrangulata) , Green Ash (F. 

 viridis), Carolina Ash (F. caroliniand) , are chiefly found in 

 the southern United States. 



Canadian ash in the log is now nearly a thing of the 

 past, the round wood from the States having nearly dis- 

 placed it, although quite recently a good number of square 

 logs of Quebec ash were landed in England. American 

 and Canadian ash is generally of light brownish tint, similar 

 in character and used for similar purposes to the common 

 ash of Europe, but it is lighter in weight. Some of it is 

 quartered. In ash the medullary rays are scarcely distin- 

 guishable, the pores are very fine and scattered in broken 

 lines, and annual rings are distinct. American ash forms 



