THE ASH. 
47 
tough and elastic timber, useful in all agricultural operations, 
and added much to the beauty of the country. No doubt 
the noxious drip and shade of the Ash have had much to 
do with this abandonment of it, for few things can live 
beneath it — a condition helped by its numerous fibrous roots, 
which quickly exhaust and drain the soil, and so starve out 
other plants. Although it thus drains the surface soil, it is 
not dependent upon these upper layers for food, for its much- 
branched roots extend very deeply in the porous soils it 
prefers. 
It must not be supposed from the foregoing remarks that 
the Ash is confined to the lowlands. In Yorkshire it is found 
growing at an elevation of 1350 feet ; in Mid-Germany it 
grows as far up as 3500 feet, and in the Alpine districts 500 
feet higher still. It has a preference for the northern and 
eastern sides of hills, where the atmosphere is moist and cool, 
and the soil deep and porous, for it loves free and not 
stagnant moisture for its roots. 
The bark of both trunk and branches is pale grey, and 
some look to this as the origin of the tree’s English name. 
On examining the leafless branches in early spring, two 
things strike the observer — the blackness of the big opposite 
leaf-buds, and the stoutness of the twigs. This latter fact is 
due to the great size of the leaves they have to support, 
which implies a considerable strain in wind or rain. What 
are generally regarded as the leaves of the Ash are only 
leaflets, though they are equal in size to the leaves of most 
of our trees. The largest of the leaflets are about three 
inches in length, and there are from four to seven — mostly 
six — pairs, and an odd terminal one, to each leaf. They 
are lance-shaped, with toothed edges. The leaves are late 
in appearing, but, like Charles Lamb and his office-hours, they 
make up for it by an early departure. 
The flowers of the Ash are very poor affairs, for they have 
G 
