THE ASH-TREE. / 



distinct varieties, namely, male and female plants — i.e. 

 one plant bears the organs to produce the seed, and the 

 other bears fruitless flowers. The common species 

 {Excelsior) contains 16 or 17 varieties. These attain to 

 a great altitude — as much as from 80 to 120 feet — if 

 the soil and locality are suitable. The most favourable 

 soil for growing large and sound xlsh timber is one con- 

 taining a deep, tender loam, free from rock and excess 

 of stone, and, while retentive of moisture, not water- 

 bound. I have known the Ash attain to a most sur- 

 prising magnitude in such a soil, even when it has not 

 been so high as the general level. I knew a whole 

 wood of this kind of Ash, which acquired the name of 

 "Ash Wood" on that account, and I have never seen 

 such fine Ash timber, either before or since ; and, more- 

 over, it was sound when it was felled. The Ash will 

 grow very rapidly in such soils. 



The propagation of the Ash consists in raising it from 

 seed as well as by grafting. The former plan is effected 

 by gathering the seed as soon as it is ripe, and then 

 burying it a foot deep in the ground, and nearly filling 

 the trench, which may be 1 or 2 feet wide, with the 

 seed masts. Then cover the seed up with earth, and let 

 it remain till February, when it may be taken out and 

 run through a coarse sieve to separate it. It may then 

 be sown in drills 1 foot apart, in good tender, sandy soil, 

 and transplanted from these drills at one or two years 

 old. One year is time enough to plant the seedlings, 

 when they are to be placed in a plantation for subse- 

 quent removal as stocks for grafting the pendulous or 

 weeping varieties on. In this case plant the young- 

 seedlings on a deeply dug, good soil, in rows 1 foot by 

 6 inches asunder, with the hand-dibber ; let the seed- 

 lings remain here for three or four years, when most of 

 them will have attained a height sufficient for grafting 

 on the weeping varieties. This is done at the top of the 

 stock, at any height which may be thought most desir- 

 able, which should be 10 or 12 feet from the ground, as 

 a rule. These stocks should be grafted before they are 

 removed — two years previously at the least. 



