trees. There are little woods, as well as big
woods, of oak, elm, ash, pine, willow, birch, beech, and larch. In some
cases the little woods are composed of the growth which shoots up when
the principal trunk of the tree has been cut down, but they are
generally little merely because they are young, and are cut down for use
before they have time to grow into forest-trees. The object of this
little paper is to give some account of their growth and uses. It will
be convenient to take them alphabetically, by their English names.

The Ash (_Fraxinus excelsior_ and other varieties) is a particularly
graceful and fine tree at its full growth. It is a native of Great
Britain, and of many other parts of the world. It is long lived. The
most profitable age for felling it as a forest-tree is from eighty to a
hundred years. The flower comes out before the leaves, which are late,
like those of the oak. The bunches of seed-vessels, or "ash-keys," as
they are fancifully called, were pickled in salt and water and eaten in
old times. The Greeks and Romans made their spears of ash-wood. The wood
is not so durable as that of some other trees, but it is tough, and is
thus employed for work subject to sudden strains. It is good for
kitchen-tables, as it scours well and does not easily splinter.

In little woods, or ash-holts, or ash-coppices, the ash is very
valuable. They are either cut over entirely at certain intervals, or
divided into portions which are cut yearly in succession. At four or
five years old the ash makes good walking-sticks, crates to pack glass
and china in, hoops, basket handles, fences, and hurdles.
Croquet-mallets are also made of ash. At twelve or fourteen it is strong
enough for hop-poles. There are many old superstitions in connection
with the ash, and there is a midland counties saying that if there are
no keys on the ash, within a twelvemonth there will be no king.

There are several fine American varieties, and both in the States and in
Canada the wood is used for purposes similar to ours.

The Alder (_Alnus glutinosa_, &c.) is never a very large tree. It is
supposed to be in maturity when it is sixty years old. It will grow in
wetter places than any other tree in Europe--even than the willow.
Though the wood is soft, it is very durable in water. Virgil speaks of
it as being used for boats. It is highly valued in Holland for piles,
and it is said that the famous bridge of the Rialto at Venice is built
on pile