THE ASH. 



47 



heard about our ships being infested with what was 

 called improperly enough d?^y rot, were owing to the 

 introduction of this species of oak to the naval dock- 

 yards, where, we understand, the distinction was not 

 even suspected. It may thus be discriminated from 

 the true old English oak : The acorn stalks of the 

 the Robur are long, and the leaves short, whereas 

 the sessiliflora has the stalks short, and the leaves 

 long ; the acorns of the former grow singly, or sel- 

 dom two on the same footstalk ; those of the latter 

 in clusters of two or three, close to the stem of the 

 branch." 



THE ASH. 



The Ash is among the most beautiful of our 

 trees. It is either a native^ or completely natura- 

 lized, and is familiar to every one. There are 

 said to be nearly forty species of Fraxinus, but 

 we have to do only with the common ash, ex- 

 celsior. Among the peculiarities of this tree are the 

 following : — The younger it is cut down, the richer 

 the soil in which it is planted, and the quicker it 

 grows, the more valuable is its timber. The age 

 to which it will live is not well ascertained ; but 

 it occurs in many places in Scotland as old as a 



