1086 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



A large iiortion of the ash supidy of thf country goes 

 to the farm in one form or another. The amunnt nia.lc 

 into agricultural machinery, tools, and im]<!enieiiis is 

 large, as is apparent from a list of the more conimnii 

 articles of this class : cornhuskers, cornshellers. ha\ 

 presses, shredders, manure spreaders, grain binders, 

 jjlows, hay stockers, soil rollers, potato diggers, threshing 

 m.ichines, and feed cutters. Some of these are made 

 partly and others almost wholly 

 of ash. 



It is a great handle wood. Some 

 of the handles belong to farm 

 tools, others do not; but in al! 

 c ises tlie wood is employed for 

 liandles because it is stiff and verv 

 strong. The preference which 

 luiropean farmers and gardeners 

 show for American tools is said 

 to be due in part to the excellent 

 asli so generally used. Shovels 

 and rakes are cited as particular 

 cases. Other tools which are gen- 

 erally equipped with a>li handles 

 are pitchfi)rks, hoes, spades and 

 scoops. The same wood is often 

 employed as liandles for ice liooks. 

 cant hooks, brooms, ninps ;uid 

 whips. 



Xotwithstanding the .-ilmost uni- 

 \-ersal presence of ninwing ma- 

 chines on -\nierican farms, scvthes 

 are as numerous as ever, and the 

 h.mdle or snath is generallv made 

 nf ash, as it has alwa_\s been. The 

 bkanks of which snatjis are made 



1 



L 



are first split to insure against crossgrain, then steamecb 

 and bent to the desired form. .-\ century ago it was cus- 

 tomary to use them without bending, and such are still in 

 use in some localities, particularly in the mountains of 

 Xorth Carolina and among the descendants of French 

 settlers in Louisiana. It is claimed that the largest as!i 

 tree on record was manufactured into scythe snaths. 



Baskets used by farmers and gardeners for grain, 

 fruit and truck are ofter, 

 made of ash. particularh 

 the hoops or bands which 

 strengthen the thin splits 

 constituting the woven 

 frame of the basket. 

 Singletrees, wbiffletrees. 

 eveners. and neckyokes 

 are products made from 

 e\en-grained ash. 



The demand for ash 

 in the boat industry ha^ 

 increased in recent years, 

 though for a long time 

 the use of the wood had 

 been large. In Louisiana 

 and Arkansas millions of 

 feet of the best ash 

 found [n the prime\al 

 forests are yearly man- 

 ufactured into l;)oat oar.;. 

 'I'his commodity goes 'o 

 all parts of the civilized 

 world. For li.ght Dai's 

 and paddles, spruce is 

 satisfactory, Ijut for the 

 JK'axier, stronger artic!.'. 



Coiirlcsy A. C Sfnlding 

 & Brothers. 



nASKBAI.I. BAT MADK 

 OI' WllITrC ASH 



Court.sy .'In 



folk »'r lli'i Loinl'any. 



WIIITI'; ASH HANDI.I-;S 



Ov.ijig to its streti.ylli ;iiui Inugliness. white .isli is particulni ly valuable 

 for tlu- m.'uuifacuirc of farm and garden tools. 



Courtesy American Fork & Hoe Company. 



sr.Mii ii.wni.i: m.mh: oi- 

 wiiii'i'; .\sii 



