The Ash. 



straight forni, and, if thinned out gradually and judiciously, 

 they become an uniform and most beautiful plantation. 



129. Ash Trees ought always to be felled in winter, and 

 the coppices ought to be cut in the same season. The leaf 

 should be entirely off, before you begin to cut ; and though 

 this is a tree that comes out late into leaf, the felling and 

 coppice- cutting ought be finished by the first of March at 

 latest. The bark of the Ash is of no value, and therefore 

 there is lio reason for cutting the tree down at the season 

 when Oaks are cut; but the bark of the Ash, and, espe- 

 cially of the young Ash, is, if suffered to remain on, inju- 

 rious to the wood. As soon, therefore, as convenient, after 

 Ash poles are cut, the bark is taken off in the same manner 

 as that described in the case of the Alder; paragraph 100» 



130. I cannot conclude this article, without strongly re- 

 commending to my readers to pay great attention to v/hat 

 has been said about this tree. As fuel, its wood is far better 

 than any other tree that we have : its growth is almost the 

 quickest : its various uses are all of importance ; and its 

 propagation, cultivation and management, are all nearly 

 as easv as those of a cabbage plant. 



131. AMERICAN WHITE ASH: Fraxinus Ame- 

 ricana. In all that I have said above, I beg to be under- 

 stood as having spoken of the Ash generally, and not only of 

 the English Ash, being convinced that there are other Ashes 

 much superior to it, in every respect whatsoever; and, of 

 course, more vrorthy of all that great attention which I 

 have represented it to deserve. This is particularly the 

 case, with regard to the American White Ash, which 

 grows to a greater height than ours, has a more beautiful 

 foliage, grows faster, and produces a timber vastly superior. 



