47 



THE ASHES. 



Ash is one of the most widely distributed of the North American trees. 

 It ranges from the Rocky Mountain states eastward through every state but 

 Maine, and the fact that 606 Pennsylvania sawmills in 1912 reported cutting 

 this wood, indicates that the tree is also well distributed throughout this 

 State. Manufacturers do not distinguish the species for particular uses but, 

 like the oaks, they separate them into classes, white ash and black ash. 

 In Pennsylvania the white ash (Fraxinus americana) and black ash (Fraxinus 

 nigra) are the most important commercial species of ash growing within the 

 State and they make up the bulk of the material which the Pennsylvania 

 manufacturers consume. The white ash is one of Pennsylvania's valuable 

 hardwoods. It possesses a coarse, straight grain, fine texture, is moderately 

 hard and strong, besides being rather resilient and tough. However, it lacks 

 durability. The manufacture of vehicle parts, handles, agricultural imple- 

 ments, boats, sporting goods, and framework of various kinds where the 

 qualities of strength and toughness are desired call principally for white ash, 

 both in Pennsylvania and the country at large. 



The uses of black ash are quite different from those of the white ash be- 

 cause of its different qualities. It is much softer, not as strong or as elastic, 

 and is more durable. Black ash has a pronounced attractive figure and is 

 more desirable for decorative work. It is, therefore, called on to meet 

 large demands for interior finish of houses, railroad and trolley cars. The 

 lack of taste and odor makes ash valuable for containers of foodstuffs, such 

 as butter tubs, woodenware, flour barrels, and boxes of various kinds. Only 

 forty-six per cent, of the ash going into further manufacture was State- 

 grown, in spite of the fact that the lumber cut exceeded by over 4,000,000 

 feet the amount of home-grown material used. 



Table 30. Consumption of Ash, year ending June, 1912. 



