HOW TO GROW GOOD TIMBER. 303 



But charming as is the ash when in its most perfect 

 foliage, yet as its aestivation is usually so late, and 

 the fall of its leaves so early and rapid, it often 

 displays all but naked limbs, even amidst the fresh- 

 ness of spring, as well as during the autumnal tinting 

 of almost all other trees. It would seem that its 

 buds cannot expand in spring frosts, whilst the first 

 frost of autumn will frequently make the whole 

 foliage drop in one mass beneath the influence of the 

 succeeding sunshine. This susceptibility to spring 

 cold is doubtless at the base of the country weather 

 predictions which are made to depend upon the 

 behaviour of the ash in respect to its time of display- 

 ing its leaves : — 



When the oak's before the ash, 

 You may then expect a clash. 



Generally held to mean, that if the leaves of the oak 

 are seen before those of the ash, a fine dry summer 

 may be expected ; but, on the contrary, — 



With the ash before the oak, 

 You may then expect a soak. 



The truth of all this may be that a cold wet spring, 

 which would retard the bursting of the buds of the 

 ash, may be expected to be followed by a fine 

 summer; whilst, on the contrary, a genial forward 

 spring is often succeeded by a wet summer. 



Selby remarks on the early fall of the leaf, which, 

 as he says, is " after the first autumnal frost, however 

 early that may happen ; and this, in general, without 

 undergoing any change of colour, or contributing by 

 the ' sear and yellow leaf ' to the waning beauty of 



