IJKITIMI FOREST TK1. l> 247 



the roots or young seedlings of ash as little as it does those 

 of other species of trees. 



It is free from fungoid diseases except those, common to 

 most forest trees, originated by Phytophthora omnivora on 

 cotyledons and leaves, and by Nectria ditissima in the 

 branches and near the base of the stem. Like the beech, horn- 

 beam, sycamore, lime, and chestnut, it is somewhat subject to 

 a diseased condition of the smooth-barked bole on the west 

 and south-west sides owing to the scorching and drying-up 

 power of strong sunshine, in consequence of which the 

 technical value of the stem is often greatly lessened. From 

 this ' sun-burn ' the rougher barked trees are happily exempt. 



Sylvicultural Treatment of the Ash. Pure forests, or 

 even large clumps of ash that have been produced either 

 artificially, or by the retention of too many self-sown seed- 

 lings, seldom yield satisfactory results, even on the better 

 classes of soil, as their light foliage, broken canopy, and 

 early attainment of maturity, render them somewhat un- 

 suited for treatment as pure high forest. Spontaneous 

 growth of self-sown seedlings is seldom wanting on the 

 moister patches during regenerative fellings in beech woods; 

 and when once the young crop of the latter species is in 

 vigorous growth, a struggle begins which sometimes reduces 

 the number of the former to a desirable proportion, but at 

 other times ends in favour of the ash, and with bad ultimate 

 sylvicultural results, unless the aid of the axe is freely given 

 in favour of the beech. Even on moist, low-lying situations, 

 which in general are such as show the best development of 

 ash, its growth as scattered individuals, or in small knots 

 or patches only, is decidedly better than in groups or larger 

 patches. For large groups or clumps of pure ash there can 

 be no better treatment than early under planting with beech, 

 spruce, silver fir, or hornbeam according to the nature of the 

 soil, as has already been described with reference to the oak 



