20 



ASHBURNHAM. 



Pine is fairly abundant in Ashburnham in scattered stands, 

 especially in the south part of the township, and there is con- 

 siderable reproduction. The greater part of the woodlands is 

 composed of swamp or moisture-liking species, such as spruce, 

 larch, red maple, birch (gray, white and yellow), red oak, poplar 

 and beech. Red maple and beech are particularly abundant, 

 and there are large areas of spruce, larch and hemlock swamp. 

 The mixed hardwood type is composed of red maple, birches, 

 red oak, poplar, beech and a little chestnut, although most of 

 the chestnut has been cut off for the chair factories in Gardner, 

 Winchendon and Ashburnham. 



The general size of the timber is in the 3-2 class, the rate of 

 growth is fairly rapid, and the timber is in fair health. On the 

 northwest of Stodge Meadow Pond, and also about 1 mile west 

 from Ashburnham Center, are two areas where red pine is 

 abundant in mixture with white pine. Here the red pine is 

 growing about as rapidly as the white pine, and is cleaning itself 

 fairly well, especially where shaded at the side. Reproduction 

 in old pastures is plentiful where white pine stands from which 

 seed has come are near by. 



The principal sawmill owners are L. Lashaway, Jr., W. E. 

 Jefts, Warren Marble, Charles Russell and W. E. Peckens. 

 L. Lashaway cuts pine, spruce and hemlock, about 1,000,000 

 board feet per year. The other owners saw irregularly, but 

 probably each saws from 500,000 to 1,000,000 board feet per 

 year. In addition there are many portable mill operators who 

 come in from other towns. 



The W. F. Whitney Company, in South Ashburnham, has 

 two mills, using mostly southern oak and a little birch, beech 

 and maple from New Hampshire and Vermont. 



The Curtis chair shop at Ashburnham uses per year 

 120,000 board feet of chestnut and 132,000 of birch, beech 

 and maple, practically all of which comes from outside the 

 State. 



Wright's crutch factory turns out 3,500 crutches per month, 

 and uses the following: 



