THE ASH-LEAVED MAPLE AKD THE ASHES. 249 



lands, and is distributed from Maine to northern 

 Minnesota ; southward it extends to the mountains of 

 Yirginia, and southwestward to central Missouri and 

 northwestern Arkansas. The light, brownish wood is 

 soft and has a handsome grain. It is used for the 

 interior finish of houses, and for cabinet-work and 

 barrel hoops. The pliable and tough wood of young 

 saplings I have found very useful for ribs in the con- 

 struction of a river canoe. Soaked in hot water, it is 

 quite surprising to see how much bending and twist- 

 ing a strip of young black ash will bear before it 

 breaks. 



The European ash {Fraxinus excelsior), which is 

 sometimes found in parks and gardens, has from 

 eleven to thirteen leaflets (a lesser number iu some 

 varieties), which are deep green, broad, lance- shaped, 

 and toothed. The seed, like that of the black ash, is 

 also winged all around. The weeping ash (var. jpen- 

 dwla) is one of the most beautiful forms of this 

 species. 



