DECIDUOUS TREES. 
9 
CHAPTER II. 
DECIDUOUS TREES. 
The Ash — Fraxinus . — There are many varieties of the ash, 
all more or less valuable both as ornamental shade trees and for 
timber uses. The European ash — fraxinus excelsior — is a lofty 
tree, with more of a spreading head than our American — 
fraxinus Americanus — varieties, and is the one generally grown 
and sold at the nurseries. As a street tree, along suburban or 
country roads, and for creating apparent elevations in landscape, 
or for forming the point tree of a background, both the European 
and American are good. We prefer the European for street 
planting, and the American for effect in the landscape, but use it 
only in grounds of considerable extent. 
For places of small extent, both the European and American 
are of too large growth. A rich, deep, and moist, almost wet, 
soil suits the ash best ; but it succeeds well in almost any soil or 
situation, being very hardy and entirely free from insects. 
Of the fhncy varieties, the Gold-Barked ( aured ) is most 
notable, because of the bright yellow of its branches, forming 
with its singular contorted or irregular, upright, spreading 
growth a conspicuous object in winter. The Willow-Leaved 
( salicifolia ) has narrow wavy leaves, and is perhaps one of the 
strongest growers ; while the Myrtle-Leaved ( viridis ) is of a 
stunted or dwarfed habit with very dark green myrtle-like 
leaves, and is valuable only as a curiosity, or for a position on 
the point of two diverging roads or paths ; and for this latter 
purpose perhaps a better variety is one under the name of 
Dwarf Globe-Headed, which originated with Messrs. Ellwanger 
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