152 



THE ASH. 



then we have the whole mystery unfolded. These 

 birds, which never perforate the live wood, find 

 in this diseased part of the tree, or of the branchy 

 a place suitable to their wants. They make a 

 circular hole, large enough to admit their bodies ; 

 and then they form a cavity mthin, sufficiently 

 spacious to contain their young. Thus does 

 Nature kindly smooth the way, in order that all 

 her creatures may prosper and be happy. When- 

 ever I see these sylvan carpenters thus employed, 

 I say to them, ^ Work on, ye pretty birds ; you do 

 no harm in excavating there : I am your friend, 

 and I will tell the owner of the tree that you are 

 not to blame.' But his woodman deserves a severe 

 reprimand. He ought to have cut down the tree 

 in the autumn, after the appearance of the fun- 

 gus." — Essays on Natural History , 



The author of The Journo.l of a Naturalist 

 strongly deprecates the custom of pollarding trees, 

 and more particularly the Ash. This system of 

 cutting off the heads of the young trees in the 

 hedge-rows is resorted to by the farmer for the 

 purpose of forcing them, thus deprived of their 

 leaders, to throw out collateral shoots, serving 

 for stakes for fences and for firewood. These pur- 

 poses are effected ; but of all hopes of timber, or 

 profit to the proprietor there is an end. No trees 

 suffer more in this respect than the Ash. Prohi- 

 bitions against mangling trees are usual in agree- 

 ments ; but, with some exceptions in regard to 

 Oak, little attention seems paid to the covenant, as 

 is obvious on the most cursory view of the coun- 

 try in any direction ; whereas the Ash is not a less 

 valuable tree than the Oak, from its thriving 

 more universally in all situations, and becoming 



