YOUNG TREES, ETC. 51 



slowly, the wood is brittle, and soon affected by 

 the rot ; but where the growth has been vigorous, 

 the timber is very tough, elastic, and durable. 

 The ash never attains such thickness as some of 

 the other forest trees. Upon the estate of Arnis- 

 ton, in Mid-Lothian, there are ash trees fifteen and 

 sixteen feet in circumference ; but trees of such 

 large dimensions are not numerous, neither is it 

 necessary that the ash should attain such a large 

 growth, considering that smaller trees always yield 

 much better timber. From its upright habit, the 

 ash forms one of the best trees for a forest ; in fact, 

 many other trees are improved by growing along 

 with it, particularly the larch, which is almost always 

 found healthy when growing among ash trees. 



The circumstances which are found favourable to 

 the healthy development of the ash are — as regards 

 soil, a good strong loam, rather rich than other- 

 wise, and rather moist than dry; that is, the ash 

 does not disagree with a little moisture, provided 

 that this moisture have free and ready access away 

 from the roots, and is not liable to remain in the 

 least degree stagnated. The ash is often found of 

 large dimensions growing upon bare rocks ; in such 

 cases, the roots of the tree get into the seams of the 

 rock, and are watered by the moisture which de- 

 scends between the strata. The ash is fonder of 

 shelter than either of the other two trees I have 

 already described ; therefore, to grow it well, it is 



