36 
WHITE ASIE 
rapidity of its growth and for the beauty of its foliage. It abounds in 
New Brunswick and Canada ; in the United States it is most multiplied 
north of the river Hudson, and is more common in Gennessee than in the 
southern parts of New York, in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. A cold 
climate seems most congenial to its nature. It is everywhere called White 
Ash, probably from the color of the bark, by which it is easily distinguished. 
I have observed, too, that on large stocks the bark is deeply furrowed, and 
divided into small squares from 1 to 3 inches in diameter. 
The situations most favorable to the White Ash are the banks of rivers 
and the edges and surrounding acclivities of swamps. It sometimes attains 
the height of 80 feet with a diameter of 3 feet, and is one of the largest 
trees of the United States. In the District of Maine and in the upper part 
of New Hampshire, it is always accompanied by the White Elm, Yellow 
Birch, White Maple, Hemlock Spruce and Black Spruce; and in New 
Jersey it is mingled with the Red Maple, Shell-bark Hickory and Button- 
wood, in places that are constantly wet and occasionally inundated. 
The White Ash is a fine tree, with a trunk perfectly straight and often 
undivided to the height of more than 40 feet. The leaves are 12 or 14 
inches long, opposite, and composed of three or four pair of leaflets sur- 
mounted by an odd one. The leaflets, which are borne by short petioles, 
are 3 or 4 inches long, about 2 inches broad, oval-acuminate, rarely denti- 
culated, of a delicate texture and an undulated surface. Early in the spring 
they are covered with a light down, which gradually disappears, and at the 
approach of summer they are perfectly smooth, of a light green color above 
and whitish beneath. As the contrast of color between the surfaces is 
remarkable, and is peculiar to this species, Dr. Muhlenberg has denomi- 
nated it j Fraxinus discolor. 
The seeds are 1.8 inches long, cylindrical near the base, and gradually 
flattened into a wing, the extremity of which is slightly notched. They 
are united in bunches 4 or 5 inches long, and are ripe in the beginning of 
autumn. The shoots of the tAvo preceding years are of a bluish gray color 
and perfectly smooth : the distance between their buds sufiSciently proves 
the vigor of their growth. 
In large trees the perfect Wood is reddish and the sap is whitei This 
wood is highly esteemed for its strength, suppleness and elasticity, and is 
employed with advantage for a great variety of uses, of which I shall men- 
tion only the most common. It is always selected by coach-makers for 
shafts, for the fellies of Avheels, and at New York and Philadelphia for the 
frame of carriage-bodies ; by wheel-wrights it is used for sledges and for 
the handle of wheel-barrows ; in the District of Maine it replaces the 
White Oak for the circular back of Windsor-chairs ; scythe and rake 
handles, the hoops of water-pails, the circular piece of butter-boxes, sieves 
and large spinning-wheels, which are manufactured principally at Ilingham, 
