By determining the amount of formaldehyde produced on periodate oxidation of borohydride-reduced apple- and cherry-wood xylans the degree of polymerization was shown to be 155 and 100 respectively. Acid hydrolysis of the polyols obtained by periodate oxidation and borohydride reduction gave ethylene glycol in amounts indicating that these xylans have a small degree of branching. Mild acid hydrolysis of the polyols demonstrated that in these xylans D-glucuronic acid as well as 4-O-methyl-D-glucuronic acid was present and that some of the former occupied non-terminal positions.