THE ASH. 49 



What does the word serrated mean^ when ap- 

 plied to the edge of a leaf?" 



I know now !" said Harry ; it means 

 notched y like a saw." 



And^ in fact/' said Mr. Longhurst^ as 

 your common Latin had furnished you with 

 the word serra^ you knew before ; but your 

 knowledge was not^ by quick application, so 

 ready as it might have been. As most leaves 

 are so formed, serrated is a word of frequent 

 use in botany. 



The timber of the ash, unlike that of other 

 trees, has the advantage of being nearly as 

 good when young, as when old : it is hard, 

 tough, and so very elastic, that it may readily be 

 bent round in a circle : hence coopers are glad 

 to avail themselves of it for the hoops of their 

 tubs and barrels. It is also called the husband- 

 man's tree^ nothing being equal to it for agri- 



E 



