ASH 339 



feared, the young crop should be raised under a light shelter 

 wood. 



Cultivation, etc. The Ash is a very thinly foliaged tree, 

 and pure crops of Ash are quite unable to keep the soil clean 

 or preserve soil moisture for more than a few years. 



The trees are very light-demanding after they are about 

 20 to 30 years of age ; but, up to that period, they will bear 

 slight shade ; so also will young coppice poles. Young self- 

 sown Ash will bear far more shade than planted trees. 



The trees grow very rapidly when young ; and are not 

 usually checked very much by being transplanted, as is the 

 case with Oak and Beech and Spanish Chestnut. 



Any newly planted trees which do not grow rapidly 

 should be cut over at the ground level, and the best shoot 

 only allowed to grow. 



Ash is peculiarly suited to being cut over in this manner, 

 and the resulting growth is generally very clean and straight, 

 and possesses less tendency to forked growth. The cutting 

 over may be done at the time of planting, but it is best to 

 wait one, two, or more years. 1 The forked growth is often 

 caused by the young leading shoot being nipped by frost and 

 the subsequent development of two opposite buds lower 

 down. 2 



Ash make excellent standards over coppice. 



In high forest they may, advisably, be grown pure and 

 underplanted, with seedling shade-bearing trees, before the 

 land has got in a foul state. Again, Ash can often be easily 

 regenerated, naturally ; and the shelter of the mother trees 

 affords beneficial protection to the young crop from frost. 

 This natural regeneration will not usually be possible on very 

 moist soils, as the young crop will get choked by weeds. 



1 An instance occurred where some Ash, which had been planted 14 

 years and were not thriving, were thus cut over, and then grew 1 1 feet 

 in one season. 



2 All the lower buds open later than the bud of the leading shoot ; 

 hence the leader is more likely to suffer. In Germany a forked growth 

 is often caused by the larva of the Ash bud moth attacking the bud of 

 the leading shoot. 



