FRAXINUS AMERICANA Linnæus. White Ash. (× 1/2.)
A form of white ash with reddish-purple fruit is found from Steuben to Clark County. This form is the prevailing type of white ash in Wayne County in the vicinity of Centerville. It has been described by Fernald as forma iodocarpa.[69]
The wood is heavy, hard, strong, elastic, sap wood white and the heart wood light brown. It is one of the most valuable of Indiana woods, and is used by almost all wood using industries. Its principal uses include handles, butter tubs, car and vehicle stock, automobiles and implements.
The white ash has been under cultivation at the Clark County State Forest for fifteen years, and the present indications are that it is one of the very best species to use for forest planting. It is hardy; grows in nearly all kinds of soil, although it prefers a moist, rich soil; transplants successfully; grows rapidly; bears pruning well; erect in habit of growth, and so far in our area forest plantings have not been destroyed by injurious insects. However, in some parts of the State, where trees have grown in the cities, some have been killed by scale insects. Aside from this the white ash would be an excellent tree for roadside planting, because it comes into leaf late, and never produces a dense shade.
At present seed collectors are not able to separate the species of ash, and as a consequence white ash seedlings bought from a nursery are not always true to name. For this reason it is suggested that to obtain seedlings true to name that seed be collected and planted from a tree true to name. The seed should be planted in a sandy soil in rows, about 25 seeds to the foot, and covered about an inch deep with earth. The trees should be planted 4×4 ft. to 8×8 ft. apart.
2. Fraxinus biltmoreàna Beadle. Biltmore Ash. [Plate 125.] Large forest trees, resembling the white ash. Young trees acquire the furrowed bark character earlier than the white ash, furrows of the bark of mature trees are usually deeper, and the ridges correspondingly farther apart; twigs are robust like the white ash and always velvety pubescent except in age when they may become smooth; leaves generally 2-3.5 dm. long, rachis pubescent; leaflets 5-11, usually 7-9, generally 5-14 cm. long, on stalks generally 0.3-1 cm. long, the terminal one on a stalk 2-4 times as long, leaflets broadly ovate to narrow ovate, or oblong to narrow oblong, narrowed, rounded, or oblique at the base, short or long acuminate at apex, sometimes merely acute, margins generally entire, sometimes with a few short teeth toward the apex, dark green and smooth above, glaucous and more or less pubescent beneath; fruit similar to the preceding species.