24 S BRITISH FOREST TREES 



(vide pages 194 and 199), for the chief sylvicultural import- 

 ance of ash lies in the production of the larger assortments 

 of timber for cabinetmaking and the like, and this can only 

 be well arranged for by insuring the protection of the soil. 

 Wherever this is moist and fertile, the ash deserves to be 

 associated with the oak and the beech ; even though it can 

 never hold out the full period of rotation of the former, 

 and only under favourable circumstances the shorter one 

 (100 to 120 years) of the latter, it yields good, remunerative 

 returns, without leaving serious blanks in the canopy when 

 its admixture has been confined to single scattered stems 

 only. On the better classes of marshy soil where the oak 

 is grown, a sprinkling of ash seldom fails to improve the 

 growth of the former, and among alders it is often charac- 

 terised by excellent development in patches and rows. 

 Where it occurs in groups along with alder, the treatment 

 accorded has practically much resemblance to under-plant- 

 ing after the average growth in height has culminated. 

 When suddenly exposed to light and air during the later 

 stages of growth, it is apt like the elm, and to a less 

 extent the oak, to show sickly growth, and often eventually 

 becomes "stag-headed " and dry. 



During its younger stages of growth, ash has a much more 

 rapid development than beech, and on suitable soils main- 

 tains the advantage thus won ; but later on, when its growth 

 in height has culminated, and it is gradually caught up by 

 the beech, the development of its crown begins to be inter- 

 fered with, and it then becomes advisable either to harvest 

 it at this juncture, or to assist it materially in the struggle. 



An admixture of ash with silver fir, spruce, or pine does 

 not in general yield good results, as it is too easily caught 

 up and over-topped in growth ; and besides this, spruce or 

 pine soils are seldom good enough for the ash. 



As a standard in copse, the ash finds conditions very well 



