THE ASHES 201 



long racemes, followed by the small key fruits which 

 cling to the twigs over winter, making the tree look dingy 

 and untidy. This tree has not the hardiness nor the com- 

 pact form of the Norway maple, and it is subject to the 

 attack of borers. 



It is the "sycamore" of Europe, famed as a lumber 

 and an avenue tree abroad, but with us it proves short- 

 lived, and we have no reason for clioosing it. The copious 

 seed production of the far preferable Norway maple puts 

 it within the reach of all. 



THE ASHES 



Few large trees in our American woods have their 

 leaves set opposite upon the twig. Still fewer of the 

 trees with compound leaves show this arrangement. Con- 

 sult the first broad-leaved tree you meet, and the chances 

 are tliat its leaves are set alternately upon the twigs. 

 There is a multitude of families in this class; but if 

 the leaves are paired and set opposite, we narrow the 

 families to a very few. Are the leaves simple.'^ Then 

 the tree may be a maple or a dogwood, or a viburnum. 

 Are the leaves opposite and compound? Then you have 

 one of two families. Are the leaflets clustered on the 

 end of the leaf-stalk? Then the tree is a buckeye or a 

 horse chestnut — members of the buckeye family. Are 

 the leaflets set along the sides of the central stem? Then 

 the tree is an ash. A few exceptions may be discovered, 

 but the rule holds in the general forest area of North 

 America. 



Ash trees have lance-shaped, winged seeds, borne in 

 profuse clusters, and often held well into the winter. But 



