286 



THE MOUNTAIN ASH. 



an ardent spirit is distilled from tliem, which is 

 said to have a fine flavour. 



As a timber-tree, the Mountain Ash does not 

 attain a size which renders it available by the 

 carpenter ; but its wood, being fine-grained, hard, 

 and susceptible of a high polish, is used for 

 smaller manufactures, principally in turnery. 

 As coppice it may be applied to most of the uses 

 of Ash, Hazel, &c, ; and the bark is employed by 

 the tanner. In the days of archery, it ranked 

 next to the Yew as a material for bows, and was 

 considered sufficiently important to be mentioned 

 in a statute of Henry VIII. 



