Application: Tough and strong ash with a growth ring width of 2.5-4 mm is suitable for numerous purposes for which these properties are important. For example, sports articles such as tennis rackets, hockey, polo and golf sticks, wicket posts, skis, horizontal bars, gymnastics bridges, sulky trees, javelins, skates, springboards, billiard cues, bobsleighs, etc. Tough ash is also used for ladder rungs, tool handles (axes, hammers, pitchforks, picks, etc.), oars and rudder pins. Light and mild ash is suitable for panelling and furniture and for parquet floors. Light wood is desired for parquet. Olive ash and light ash are often used as a top veneer for plywood wall panels. As far as European ash is concerned, the following generally applies: French ash is tough and has a uniform structure and is used especially for furniture and gymnastics articles. Belgian ash sometimes grows somewhat irregularly and is used for furniture, sports equipment, oars, ladder rungs, handles of shovels, axes and other tools. Domestic ash is tough, strong, hard and heavy. It is very suitable for handles, for agricultural tools and other tools, also for oars and gymnastic equipment. Polish and Slavonian ash are used for furniture and panelling because of their more regular growth. It is somewhat more brittle. The whitest ash comes from the state of Georgia in the United States.