THE ASHES : THEIE CHARACTERISTICS AND MANAGEMENT. 



21 



occurs under dense shade; ash seedling sprout root systems 10 to 

 15 years old are often to be found here. If the large trees are cut, 

 the ash seedlings (or seedling sprouts, as the case may be) will 

 usually grow, but can keep pace with the more rapid growing oak 

 and chestnut sprouts only where soil conditions are exceptionally 

 favorable. Pure second-growth white pine stands form an ideal 

 seed bed for white ash and often abound with ash seedlings and seed- 

 ling sprouts which furnish an excellent basis for a valuable future 

 admixture of ashes when the crop of mature pine is removed. 



In general, natural reproduction of white ash is good — that is, 

 the proportion of white ash increases in second-growth stands 

 following lumbering, especially where clean cutting is practiced. It 

 also seeds in well following fire when seed trees are in the vicinity 

 and are seeding at that time. 



Natural reproduction of green ash on river bottom land is also 

 good, and it tends to hold its own or to increase in amount in second- 

 growth stands. Green ash is by far the best species for reproducing 

 on old fields because of its quick germination; it does especially 

 well on moist, old-field bottom land, and on hog-rooted pastures. 



Natural reproduction of black ash is not so good; the late germi- 

 nation of the seed makes it more liable to be destroyed and the 

 small amount of seed produced decreases its chances of finding 

 favorable sites for germination. 



SEEDLING DEVELOPMENT. 



Table 6 indicates the rate of growth of ash seedlings under favor- 

 able conditions. 



Table 6. — Rate of growth of ash seedlings under different conditions. 



Age. 



Height. 



Green ash 

 on old 

 field. 

 South 



Carolina 



bottom 



land. 



Green ash 



in the 



forest under 



half shade,. 



Arkansas 



bottom 



land. 



White ash 



in the 



forest, 



Ohio under 



half shade. 



White ash 

 clean-cut 

 forest, 

 Massa- 

 chusetts 

 and New 



York 

 upland. 



Years. 

 1 

 2 

 3 



4 

 5 



Feet. 

 2.8 

 7.0 

 12.2 



Feet. 

 1.7 

 3.2 



4.5 



5.7 

 6.7 



Feet. 

 0.5 

 1.2 

 2.0 

 3.0 

 4.0 



Feet. 

 0.5 

 1.6 

 3.0 

 4.6 

 7.0 







A seedling that has existed in suppression for a number of years 

 will usually start to grow, when the forest is opened up, at" about the 

 rate given in the table. Seedling sprouts do especially well when 



