8 



of rapid growth. Its extreme hardiness, however, makes it one of 

 the most desirable trees for plains planting. 



The wood of green ash is hard, heavy, strong, rather coarse- 

 grained, and brittle. It is used in the manufacture of agricultural 

 implements, carriages, and furniture, and although said to be infe- 

 rior in quality, is often substituted for white ash. It is also used for 

 general farm repair work. The fuel value of the wood is high, but 

 planting for fuel is not advisable if a more rapid-growing tree will 

 succeed. Although the wood is not especially durable it is often 

 used for fence posts. Despite its slow growth the tree is very val- 

 uable for windbreaks or for timber production in situations where 

 few other species will survive. 



Green ash is alkali resistant to a marked extent, and it will persist 

 and even thrive under adverse conditions of temperature and mois- 

 ture. On the plains of western Kansas and Nebraska it has survived 

 on abandoned timber claims where nearly all other species have failed. 



One-year-old seedlings should be set out in the plantation. Close 

 planting on well-prepared sites is advisable. If planted pure, the 

 spacing should be either 4 by 4 feet or 4 by 6 feet, but if mixed with 

 other trees a spacing of 6 by 6 feet is preferable. Green ash will 

 thrive when planted pure, but will produce better timber if planted 

 in mixture with some other species, such as hackberry. Other desir- 

 able associates are white elm and red cedar. 



If the object of the plantation is the production of fence posts, 

 pruning is of importance. Careful pruning will increase the clear 

 length and will in this way make the stand consist of a large propor- 

 tion of first-class post timber. 



BLACK LOCUST (Ro'binia pseudacacia) . 



Black locust (known also as " yellow locust " or often simply 

 " locust ") is one of the most desirable trees for economic planting 

 within the region. Although in many regions subject to attacks by 

 injurious insects, it has suffered little damage from this source on the 

 plains. In Oklahoma, particularly, there is no record of the presence 

 of the borers. Locust is a rapid-growing tree, but is relatively short- 

 lived. In good situations it makes an annual height growth of from 

 2 to 4 feet and a diameter growth of from one-quarter to one-half 

 inch. This rate is sometimes maintained for twenty-five or thirty 

 years, but more frequently the growth becomes slower after the fif- 

 teenth or twentieth year. After the fiftieth year growth almost 

 wholly ceases. 



The wood of locust is very strong and durable. It is used for fence 

 posts, ribs of vessels, treenails, insulator pins, vehicles, and fuel. 

 The most common use of locust is for fence posts, and it has been 



[Cir. 99] 



