UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 5
ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
( ) Form 3 Holdings Reported
( ) Form 4 Transactions Reported
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   Stobaugh, Robert B.
   
   Harvard Business School
   Soldiers Field Road
   Boston, MA  02178
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Ashland Inc.
   ASH
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
   ###-##-####
4. Statement for Month/Year
   September 30, 1997
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
   
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   (X) Director  ( ) 10% Owner  ( ) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
   (specify below)
   
7. Individual or Joint/Group Reporting (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned | ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| 1. Title of Security |2. |3. |4.Securities Acquired (A) |5.Amount of |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect | |Transaction| or Disposed of (D) | Securities |ect | Beneficial Ownership | |Date |Code| | Beneficially |(D)or | | | | | | A/| | Owned at |Indir | | | | | Amount | D | Price | End of Year |ect(I)| | ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| Common Stock | | | | | |2,000 (1) |D | | - -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Common Stock | | | | | |2,000 |D | | - -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned | ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| 1.Title of Derivative |2.Con |3. |4. |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount |8.Price|9.Number |10.|11.Nature of| Security |version |Transaction rivative Secu |cisable and| of Underlying |of Deri|of Deriva |Dir|Indirect | |or Exer |Date |Code| rities Acqui |Expiration | Securities |vative |tive |ect|Beneficial | |cise Pr | | | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/| |Secu |Securities |(D)|Ownership | |ice of | | | posed of(D) |Day/Year) | |rity |Benefi |or | | |Deriva | | | |Date |Expir| | |ficially |Ind| | |tive | | | | A/|Exer-|ation| Title and Number | |Owned at |ire| | |Secu | | | | D |cisa-|Date | of Shares | |End of |ct | | |rity | | | Amount | |ble | | | |Year |(I)| | ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| Common Stock Units (2) |1-for-1 | |J |34 |A | | |Common Stock|34 |(2) |14,030 |D | | - -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Option (3) |37.50 | | | | |7-28-|1-28-|Common Stock|1,000 | |1,000 |D | | | | | | | |94 |04 | | | | | | | - -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Option (3) |33.00 | | | | |7-27-|1-27-|Common Stock|1,000 | |1,000 |D | | | | | | | |95 |05 | | | | | | | - -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Option (3) |43.125 | | | | |7-30-|1-30-|Common Stock|1,000 | |1,000 |D | | | | | | | |97 |07 | | | | | | | - -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Explanation of Responses: 1. Represents shares of restricted common stock acquired pursuant to Ashland's stock incentive plans as approved by the shareholders and exempt pursuant to Rule 16b-3. 2. Common Stock Units acquired pursuant to Ashland's Deferred Compensation and Stock Incentive Plan for Non-Employee Directors, payable in cash or stock upon termination in service, and exempt under Rule 16b-3. The acquisition dates range from 7/1/97 to 9/30/97 and the price of the Common Stock Units on applicable acquisition dates has varied from $52.188 to $54.375. 3. Stock option (represents a right to buy Ashland common stock) granted pursuant to Ashland's Deferred Compensation and Stock Incentive Plan for Non-Employee Directors. SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON Robert B. Stobaugh DATE October 28, 1997