I agree with BWS on our ash must have been a super species because it doesn't rot quick. I found a frame of a old blade runner sled a few years ago that had the cross pieces yet. thought it would be some thing to fix for my grand kids. Did some research and found the wood used when building Them was Ash, Now seems to me if it rotted quickly they never would have used Ash. My ash bridges over the creek are all Ash I tried Elm and it was a 2 to 3 year bridge at the most. Al
I'll agree with the others that LodgedTree seems to be describing the green ash that we have here, and not the white ash from my Grandfather's farm in Wisconsin. Our green ash rots quickly, has a lower BTU content, and is does not smell pleasant when cut. But there may be more factors at play than just the species. My mother's cousin tells how they always cut and split ash (white ash) for fence posts in the fall. However, one spring/summer when they were building a certain fence section, they ran out of posts from the prior fall. So they cut and split another dozen or so to finish out. Those last posts had to be replaced within just a few years. The fall-cut posts have been there over forty years, and are still sturdy. When it's cut and how soon it's split may make quite a difference.
Welcome Highknob, we're practically neighbors! I live in Adams County with a Gettysburg address but I'm a few miles north of town. Heck I've hoarded wood from near York Haven. I think you will be pleased with ash. I took down a large one on my property and it seasoned in about a year. I found a few pieces in my stacks this winter and they were still very heavy ('13 removal date). Milled most of it and never had any unpleasant odor.
