ASH 



confiderable portion of alkali, and are ufcd In making lye 

 for tlic fcouriiig of linen. See FiLix. 



Ash Tree, in Planting, a tree of the deciduous kind, of 

 which there arc fcveral fpecies cultivated either for tlie lake 

 of variety, or for the purpofe of ornamenting pleafure 

 grounds, &c. ; but the kind which defervcs attention here, is 

 the common alh, fo well known as a timber tree as to need 

 no dcfcription. See Fraxinus. 



Tiie afli tree will thrive in barren foils, and in the bleakcft 

 and mod expofed lituations ; but it grows to the greatcll 

 advantage on fiich lands as have a tolerable depth ot foil, 

 and on which water is not liable to llagnate. It is found 

 to be of fo hardy a nature, as to withlland the effcfts 

 of the fea-winds ; it may therefore be planted on the coafts, 

 where but few other kinds of trees are found to profpcr. 

 When planted on the fides of ditches, or in moill meadow 

 lands, from the fpreading of its roots it has been found to 

 render the ground more firm and dry. From this, as well as 

 other caufes, it is, however, highly prejudicial when planted 

 on arable land ; it ought therefore to be chiefly planted on 

 the walle nooks and corners of fields, or perhaps, on im- 

 proveable fwampy lands, and on the fpringy fides of hills, 

 as it would not only render them ufeful as plantations, but, 

 from the fpreading of its roots make them more firm and 



This fort of tree propagates itfelf plentifully by means 

 of feeds, which being fcattered in autumn in places where 

 cattle do not come, plenty of plants come up in the fpring. 

 Where any perfon is defirous of laifirig a quantity ol thefe 

 trees expeditioullv, the feeds Ihould be fown as foon as 

 they are ripe, and the plants will then come up in the fol- 

 lowing fpring ; but if the feeds be kept out of the ground 

 till fpring, they 'will not come up till the fecond year. The 

 ground fhould be kept clean all the fuinmer where they are 

 fown, and not dillurbed, left the feeds be turned out of 

 the ground, or buried too deep to grow. When the plants 

 are come up they mull be kept perfetlly clean from weeds 

 during the fummer months, and if they make good progrefs 

 in the feed-bed, they will be fit to tranfplant by the fol- 

 lowing autumn ; fome ground (hould therefore be prepared 

 to receive them, and as foon as their leaves begin to fall, 

 they (hould be tranfplanted. In removing the plants, care 

 ihould be taken not to break or tear off their roots ; to 

 prevent which, they (hould be taken up with a fpade, and 

 not draivn up, as is frequently praftifed ; for as many of 

 the plants which rife firlt from feed will outllrip the other? 

 in their growth, it is a frequent pradice to draw out the 

 largeft, and leave the others to grow a year longer before 

 they are tranfplanted ; and to avoid hurting thofe that are 

 left, the others are drawn out by hand, and confequently 

 many of their roots torn oft or broken. It is therefore 

 much the better way to takjs all up, little or big, together, 

 and tranfplant them out, placing t'le large ones together in 

 rows, and the fmall ones by themfelves. The row's fnould 

 be three feet afunder, and the plants a foot and a half 

 diftant in the rows. In this nurfery they fhould remain two 

 years, by which time they will be I'lrong enough to plant 

 out where they are to remain ; as the younger they are 

 planted out the better ihty will grow, fo that where they 

 are defigned for ufe they (hould be planted very young, and 

 the ground where they are raifid (hould not be better than 

 that where they are to grow. For when plants are raifed 

 in good land, and afterwards planted into worfe, they very 

 rarely thrive well; on which account it is much the bcil 

 method to make the nurfery upon a part of the fame land 

 where the trees are deligned to be planted, and then a fuf- 

 ficient number of trees may be left flanding upon tke 



ASH 



ground, which will generally outftrip thofe which are re» 

 moved, and grow to a larger fize. 



Where planters refide in the neighbourhood of afh-tree«, 

 they may fnpply themfelves with plenty of felf-fowu 

 plants, provided cattle are not fuftertd to graze on the 

 land ; and where the (eeds fall in hedge-rows and are 

 prottiled by bufhes, the plants mol\ly come up and thrive 

 well ; in fuch hedge-rows the trees are frequently per- 

 mitted to grow till they have deltroyed the hedge, for 

 there is fcarcely any tree fo hurtful to all kinds ol vege- 

 tables as thealh, as it rubs every plant o( its nourilhment 

 within the reach of its roots ; it (hould therefore never be 

 fullered tft grow in hedge-rows, as the hedges are not only 

 killed, but corn, or whatever is fown near them, greatly 

 impoverilhed. If a plantation of this kind of trees be 

 rightly managed, it will turn greatly to the advantage of 

 the owner ; for by the underwood which will be fit to cut 

 every eight or ten years, there will be a continual income 

 more than fufficient to pay the rent of the ground and all 

 other charges, and IHII a (lock will be preferved for timber, 

 which, in a few years, may be worth forty or lifty (liiUings, 

 or perhaps much more per acre. In the fixtli volume of the 

 Bath papers, Mr. South obferves, that the growth of a(h, 

 in foils adapted to its nature, is little inferior to that of elm or 

 beech; but that there is no timber whatfoevcr that dilTers 

 more in its value than this does, according to its fitua- 

 tion. The produdlioiis of dry and healthy grounds will 

 prove acceptable to mod purchaftrs ; thofe of woods arc 

 generally cle;ui in the (haft, and more valuable than 

 the former. The nearer the ground the tougher is the 

 timber ; the (haft therefore is coveted, the brittle branch 

 is rejeilcd ; the buyers of this timber accepting the (haft 

 and its continuation, or bell bough ; the reft, be they ever 

 fo large, go with the top. When this fort of timber is 

 raifed in damp meadows or moorilh foils, it becomes light, 

 fpongy, brittle, and of fmall value in comparifon of that on 

 dry and healthy fpots. In meadows thefe trees will attain 

 a lize which cannot be expedled in moors and bogs ; for 

 when the roots reach the peat, the bark grows moffy, and 

 the top decays : how long llubs may be produtlive of poles 

 in fuch fituations, remains to be determined ; but experience 

 determines that alh thus planted will never become 

 timber of any value, as the roots mull perilh before the 

 tree arrives to perfeftion. If a(h-lrees get di(barked, 

 though in appearance they (hould be flourilhing, on being 

 felled, the roots wiU be frequently found decayed, and 

 the ftems at bottom a complete (liell ; they ought not 

 therafore, in point of profit, to be fuffered to (land. 

 Thefe trees, when they (land among firs and larches if 

 planted clofe, will grow too tall and (lender, but thrive 

 well when planted alone. They are frequently knovvn to 

 have thriven for at lead ninety years, as may be fcen by 

 their ring. But in the firft ten years, as well as the la(l, 

 the growth has been obferved flow. It is remarked by Mr. 

 Mar(hall, in his Rural Economy of the Midland Counties, 

 that in the intermediate years, the different thicknedes of 

 the rings in different years were (hiking. This kind of 

 timber is generally efteemcd next in value to that of the 

 oak, and in fome places even nearly equal to it. It is of 

 great value to the coachmaker, the whcel-wright, and cart- 

 wright, for ploughs, axletiees, fellies of wheels, harrows, 

 ladders, and other implements of hu(bandi-y ; and alfo to 

 the (hipbuilder, for oar-blocks for pulleys, and many other 

 purpofes. 



The bell feafon for felling this fort of timber is from 

 November to February; for if it be done either too early 

 iu the autumn, or too early in the fpring, the wood will bs 



fubjeii 



