THE ASHES : THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AND MANAGEMENT. 11 



RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE DIFFERENT SPECIES. 



The relative importance for commercial or silvicultural purposes 

 of the different species of American ash is shown in Table 4. 



Table 4. — Relative importance of the different species of ash. 



WHITE ASH GROUP. 



1. White ash. (F. americana) Commercially and silviculturally the most impor- 



tant American ash. Commercially important 

 east of the Mississippi, except in the Atlantic and 

 Gulf Coastal Plain region. A tree primarily of 

 fertile, moist, upland soils and of coves, and of 

 stream banks where drainage is good. 



2. Texan ash (F. texensis) A variety of white ash of no commercial importance, 



but of some silvicultural possibilities. Occurs 

 on dry limestone bluffs and ridges in northern, 

 central, and western Texas, from Dallas to the 

 Devils River. 



3. Biltmore ash (i 7 *. biltmoreana) . A. variety of white ash of some slight commercial 



importance and with good silvicultural possibili- 

 ties. Adapted to somewhat drier sites and makes 

 more rapid growth in youth. Chief occurrence 

 in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, 

 especially on limestone formations, at lower 

 elevations than white ash. 



GREEN ASH GROUP. 



4. Green ash (F. lanceolata) Commercially and silviculturally nearly equal to 



white ash in importance. Commercial occur- 

 rence limited chiefly to the river bottoms subject 

 to overflow of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal 

 Plains. Has extended up the Mississippi and 

 its tributaries into Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, 

 Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The most widely 

 distributed of the ashes. 



5. Mexican ash (F. berlandiert- No commercial importance. Chief occurrence in 



ana). Mexico. Used for street and plaza planting with 



good success in cities of the Mexican tableland, 

 but of no importance for the United States. 



6. Pumpkin ash (F. profunda).. Of some slight commercial importance in river bot- 



toms in southeastern Missouri and eastern and 

 central North Carolina. Found in sloughs with 

 cypress, where it is soft and of very slow growth. 

 On well-drained land more rapid-growing than 

 green ash, especially in youth, and has good 

 silvicultural possibilities. Seed scarce. 



7. Red ash (F. pennsylvanica) .. .Of slight commercial importance because too infre- 



quent, but adapted to somewhat drier sites than 

 green ash. West of the Mississippi often not dis- 

 tinguished from green ash. 



