1082 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



I'.AKIv IJI- 



11 1 1; VVIIITK ASH 



The bark is grayish-brown, rather thick upon the older trunks, and is 

 sharply divided by diamond-shaped fissures into rather flattened ndges 

 which are covered by thin, close-titting scales. 



diameter of two to three feet, but occasional specimens 

 one hundred and twenty feet high and five or six feet in 

 diameter may be found. 



The greyish-brown bark is divided by deep, diamond- 

 shaped fissures into narrow, flattened ridges that run 

 lengthwise of the trunk. The surface of the ridges is 

 covered with thin, tightly attached scales. Unlike black 

 ash, which has an elastic, corky bark that powders easily 

 when rubbed with the hand, white ash bark is firm and 

 does not crumble. However, the scales on the ridges 

 gradually wear away so that old trunks often have 

 smoother bark than younger trees. 



The buds of white ash are rather large, broad, short 

 and blunt, and of a rusty-brown to dark-brown color. At 

 the end of the twig is a bud larger than the others, on 

 which it is plainly seen that the buds are covered with 

 scales that stand opposite one another, like the halves of 

 ' c!?jp shell, instead of overlappi,ng as do the scales on 

 the Du^i;; of most of our trees. Usually there are two 

 smaller bads at the base of the terminal bud. All of the 

 other buds are in pairs, opposite each other on the twig ; 

 in winter, a crescent-shaped scar appears beneath each 

 bud at the point where the leaf was attached. These 

 leaf-scars arc of large size, raised and very noticeable, 

 and differ frojii the leaf-scars of other species of ash by 

 being notched ,it the top. 



The twigs an,e thickened and heavy, standing opposite 

 each other and nVarly at right angles to the branch. When 

 the foliage is off lie jrees the stout twigs appear clumsy, 

 and their opposite arrangv^^ment gives a very orderly ap- 

 pearance to the branching, /.n color, the twigs are grey- 



ish or greenish-brown. They are sometimes covered 

 with a bloom, which, when rubbed off, leaves the bark 

 shiny, showing plainly the large, pale lenticels, or breath- 

 ing pores of the bark. 



Instead of one large leaf-blade, each leaf consists of 

 five to nine leaflets. The entire leaf is about ten inches 

 long; at the end of the leaf-stem is a single leaflet below 

 which are usually six leaflets, arranged in pairs. The 

 leaflets are three to five inches long, about one and one- 

 half inches broad, and are borne on a stalk one-fourth 

 to three-eighths of an inch in length. This stalk on the 

 leaflet of the white is much longer than on the leaflets 

 of the other species of ash. The leaflets are broadly 

 willow-shaped, dark green above, light green and often 

 hairy on the lower surface. By midsummer the down 

 has worn from them and they are perfectly smooth. The 

 silvery color of the lower surface of the leaflet is peculiar 

 to the white ash and gives rise to its name. 



The flowers appear in May, before the leaves; the 

 pollen-producing flowers are in dense, reddish-purple 

 clusters, which turn yellowish in color when the pollen 

 is shedding. The seed-producing flowers are borne in 

 open clusters on separate trees; they are small, vaso- 

 shajjed and purplish. 



Courtesy of the Manual Arts Press 



THE LEAF OF THE WHITE ASH 



The leaves are about ten inches long with five to nine leaflets 

 which are three to five inches long and an inch and a half 

 broad. When full grown they are usually smooth and dark 

 green above and pale below. A few hairs are sometimes found 

 along the veins on the lower surface. 



