TIMBER OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 103 
shafts, in short round pieces of small diameter, but it also 
comes in square logs up to 18 inches a side and cut timber 
7 to 20 inches wide, 2 to 3^ thick. A good deal is used for 
furniture and tram and carriage framing ; also for barrels, 
baskets, oars, tool handles, etc. Amongst the varieties 
are : — 
American or White Ash {Fraxinus americana), found in 
Canada, becomes scarce south of New Jersey. It is of a 
very light brown colour, tough, elastic, straight in grain, 
and the best material for oars. Slower in growth than 
EngUsh ash, the annual rings are much closer, yet very 
distinct. Second growth wood is preferred. 
Red Ash (F. puhmcens), a timber very similar to, but 
smaller than, white ash. 
Black Ash {F. sanibucifolia) is more widely distributed in 
Canada than the white ash ; the wood is not so hard, but is 
well suited for cooperage work and basket-making. It is 
darker in colour than white ash, and is used for the same 
purposes. 
Blue Ash of Ohio {F\ quadrangulata) , Green Ash {F. 
viridis), Carolina Ash {F. caroliniana) , are chiefly found in 
the southern United States. 
Canadian ash in the log is now nearly a thing of the 
past, the round wood from the States having nearly dis- 
placed it, although quite recently a good number of square 
logs of Quebec ash were landed in England. American 
and Canadian ash is generally of light brownish tint, similar 
in character and used for similar purposes to the common 
ash of Europe, but it is lighter in weight. Some of it is 
quartered. In ash the medullary rays are scarcely distin- 
guishable, the pores are very fine and scattered in broken 
lines, and annual rings are distinct. American ash forms 
