THE planter's guide. 



311 



elegance." Nothing, in my mind, can be more exquisitely 

 graceful tlian a young Ash, in the vigour of health, with 

 the full luxuriance of its light-green tresses. When 

 Horace conceived the idea of the silvarum comcB, I think 

 he must have had this lovely tree especially in his eye. 



The main characteristic of the Ash is lightness. In 

 close plantations or woods it rises to a great height, and 

 with a much more considerable length of stem than the 

 Oak ; but, when it has free room to expand, it throws out 

 its branches with a wide and easy sweep ; and the loose- 

 ness of the foliage, corresponding with the lightness of 

 the spray, renders it one of the most striking lawn trees 

 of the pendent form. This tree delights in a soil that is 

 deep and dry, and especially if calcareous. It will 

 thrive, also, where there is abundance of moisture ; but it 

 abhors a bottom of obdurate and retentive clay, on which, 

 without a great depth of mould above, it will not grow to 

 good timber. 



There is no tree that transplants better than the Ash. 

 To an extensive park it is well adapted for single trees or 

 groups ; and it easily harmonises with any scenery, whe- 

 ther of a bold or a placid character. Its roots and fibres 

 are extremely numerous ; and such is the power which it 

 possesses of deep rooting, {tantus amor terrce) and so 

 readily does it exert that power in an open soil, that it 

 can resist the winds with nearly the same stubbornness 

 and pertinacity as the Oak itself. It will likewise, better 

 than most trees, resist the sea-breeze. On account of the 

 fibrousness of its roots, it has the advantage of very sel- 

 dom suffering from drought after removal, and never from 

 blight. You will, therefore, not lose one in fifty, if the 

 operation be performed with tolerable skill and attention. 

 As to the season for the work, it may be any time from 

 the fall to the first week of April ; the earlier certainly 



