THE ASHES I THEIR 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 grovjth 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 
