THE ASH. 17 



growth or treatment of timber trees." Ima- 

 gine the owner of a fine estate in Devonshire, 

 Somersetshire, or Wilts, or Hants, avowing 

 his ignorance on such a subject. "What 

 stronger proof would you require that such a 

 novice has always a heavy balance in his fa- 

 vour at his bankers? 



Next to the oak, in my classification, is 



THE ASH. n - 



This most useful and quick-growing tree is 

 not so much sought after, nor so high in price 

 as it was before the railways became the ge- 

 neral mode of travelling and channels for 

 public traffic, and consequently less of it 

 made use of for wheelwrights' purposes. Still 

 it cannot be dispensed with in any part of 

 England, as, for instance, for cart felloes, the 

 hafts of spades, forks, mattocks, and other 

 tools ; for the bobbin turners, for crate wood, 

 for the hoop and hurdle makers. It will 



c 



