34. BULLETIN 523, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
bought in log or bolt form, and $40 to $50 per 1,000 paid for good 
clear stuff delivered to the factory. 
FIXTURES. 
Ash is a desirable wood for fixtures because of its handsome 
grain and finishing qualities and because it is durable, wears smooth, 
and is tough and strong. It is used especially for store, office, 
bank, school, and church fixtures, including railings, counter tops, 
show cases, cabinets, partitions, seats, and pews. The price of 
ash for fixtures averages about $37 per 1,000 board feet, consider- 
able lumber of upper grades being used. Ohio, Illinois, Michi- 
gan, and Iowa lead in the use of ash for fixtures. All three of 
the important commercial species are used. 
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 
Ash is used to a moderate extent in the construction of various 
kinds of musical instruments, including pianos, organs, piano play- 
ers, banjos, harps, and tambourines. It is used for piano frames, 
backs, keys, inside work, and molding. It is a substantial wood for 
musical instruments, as it holds its place well, finishes and wears 
well, is easily worked, and is tough and strong. The better grades 
of ash lumber are used almost exclusively, and the price paid at the 
factory averages about $55. Illinois, New York, Maryland, and 
Missouri are the leading States using ash in musical instruments. 
White, green, and black ash are all used in this industry. 
WOGDENWARE AND NOVELTIES. 
Ash woodenware and novelties include chiefly ladder rounds, step- 
ladders, buckets, pails, tubs, staffs, small flagpoles, butchers’ blocks, 
and carving boards. The qualities which make ash desirable in these 
articles are, in general, its straightness of grain, strength, workable- 
ness, and wearing ability. Lumber of the lower grades is used most, 
because it is largely sawed up into short pieces, so that defects can 
be readily eliminated where desired. The average price at the fac- 
tory for the ash lumber used is about $29 per 1,000 board feet. The 
price of material used for buckets ranges low, while that for ladders 
is high. 
SADDLES AND HARNESS. 
Hames are made from over 80 per cent of the ash used in the 
saddle and harness business. Ash is especially desirable for hames 
because it is strong and tough yet comparatively light. It is also 
used for saddletrees and stirrups. Second-growth white ash is the 
most desirable and is chiefly used. The price paid averages $35 per. 
1,000 board feet, delivered at the factories. Eighty per cent of the 
total is used in New Hampshire and New York. 
