88 OLEACE.E. 



month as clays on which the leaves have frequently been 

 observed to expand ; the two last seasons, however, viz. 

 1888 and 1839, have been much later, and the Ash did 

 not come into leaf till the end of the month ; the full 

 expansion in this neighbourhood, on the former year, was 

 not effected before the 22d, and, in 1839, not till the 

 26th of that month. The second objection is the rapid 

 fall of the leaf after the first autumnal frost, however 

 early that may happen, and this, in general, without under- 

 going any change of colour, or contributing by the " sear 

 and yellow leaf 11 to the waning beauty of autumnal foliage. 

 These disadvantages attending the Ash are serious impedi- 

 ments to its being planted where ornament alone is the 

 object, and this Sir T. D. Lauder endeavours to enforce, by 

 observing, " Ash trees should be sparingly planted around 

 a gentleman 1 s residence, to avoid the risk of their giving 

 to it a cold, late appearance, at a season when all nature 

 should smile. 11 This effect, and the correctness of his 

 remark, we have often had occasion to observe in passing 

 through districts where the Ash predominated. 



The form and general appearance of the Ash is na- 

 turally affected by the situation in which it grows. In 

 woods and plantations where it has to contend with other 

 trees, it usually rises with a clean, straight stem to a great 

 height before the head begins to expand, the side branches, 

 when thus situated, decaying and being thrown off at an 

 early period, from want of room and air. On the verge 

 of woods, or when planted singly and unencumbered by 

 other trees, though it generally carries up a leading stem, 

 it throws out numerous side branches ; these, at first, 

 grow at an acute angle with the trunk, but, as they in- 

 crease and lengthen, the weight of foliage and additional 

 spray causes them to bend and take a sweep, thus pro- 



