TREES OF AMERICA. 197 



of wheels, and for the runners of sleighs ; in 

 Maine, for the backs of chairs, for scythe and 

 rake handles, hoops, and staves, for making 

 some parts of the frames of ships, and for 

 ship-blocks ; and, above all, for oars and hand- 

 spikes, for making which, it is preferred to all 

 orts of wood except hickory : in short, for all 

 purposes which require strong, elastic, tough, 

 and durable wood, the white ash comes into 

 use, and there is no other tree that is so gen- 

 eral a favourite with the wheelwright, the 

 cabinet-maker, and the carpenter. In addi- 

 tion to its other good qualities, it grows very 

 fast. 



" The red ash is much like the white, except 

 that the leaves are not more than half as 

 large, and that their under surface is covered 

 with thick down, which turns red as autumn 

 approaches ; the wood, too, is of a brighter 

 red, and the seeds are not as long. This 

 kind is most common in the Middle States, 

 and as far south as Virginia. The wood is 

 very nearly as good and as much used as that 

 of the white ash. 



" The green ash grows in the western parts 

 of Pennsylvania and Virginia, and in Ohio. 

 It is much smaller than either the white or 



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