THE TREES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 89 



natural size when engrafted on other species of 

 Maple. Its leaves and fruit have the common charac- 

 ters of a Maple, the latter being rather small. 



Ash-leaved Maple. (Negundoaceroicles,Mcench.) 

 — I have not learned the name by which this is 

 known in North Carolina, and have adopted the one 

 very appropriately used in other parts of the United 

 States. In the Western States, where it is more 

 common, it is called Box Elder. In South Carolina 

 I have heard it called Stinking Ash. It has the 

 leaves of an Ash, and the fruit of a Maple. It is rare 

 in the Lower District, but is common on the borders 

 of streams in the Middle District to the Mountains. 



Its ordinary height is from 15 to 25 feet, a rather 

 handsome tree, of light green branches and trunk, 

 and the bark of rather disagreeable odor. The wood, 

 though fine-grained, is not much used, as it is liable 

 to rapid decay. In the West it is sometimes em- 

 ployed for inlaying furniture made of mahogany and 

 cherry. 



ASHES. — This is a genus of handsome trees, and 

 next to the Oaks, furnishes the most valuable timber 

 of our forests. The distinguishing properties of the 

 wood are strength and elasticity. The species have 

 a great similarity of general aspect, and are subject 

 to considerable variation in different soils, so that 

 their discrimination requires some attention and ex- 

 perience. In this State they are all called simply 

 Ash, without any discriminating adjuncts, and I have 



