The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-02-22
RAILROAD TIES,
How Much Timber Land IL Requires q
supply Them.

There are now In the United States, says
the Car Builder, about l4j,00O miles of rail-
way track, including sidings and second
track. This, with the number Of ties TO the
mile, estimated at 2,640), makes a total Of
'3s2 800, 900 ties on the existing roads. As
Stunning the average life of ties to be six
years, the number OF renewals each year
would be 60, 500 900, or 440 ties 10 each mile
of track. We do not know just how many
ties an acre Of average woodland will yield,
but calling the number 100, which Is fair
estimate, the quantity of woodland required
per mile Of track for each years renewals
would be IA acres; and the quantity re-
CURED for the yearly renewals upon l45,OOs
miles Of track would be 63S, 900 acres, or an
area not quite as large as the State of Della
ware. On the basis of present mileage this
does not seem 10 be very alarming inroad
on our forests so far as railroad ties are con-
cerned, especially when II Is borne In mind
that a new growth of timber is eVerywher
Ia progress where the existing forests are not
being destroyed. Looking at the matter
from tree planting point of view "a mode
of providing against the scarcity Of tie ma
terIal that Is beginning TO attract considera-
Bile attention) the results are somewhat diff
ferent. Surprising the renewals Of ties for
the present mileage Of $4,000 were all to be
made from planted trees, what would be the
extent of plant required? An acre contains
100 square rods. If one tree is planted TO
each rod aud grows to a size that will make
two ties, the yield would be 32O ties to the
acre, OF 500 per square mile Of planted
trees. This would require planted area Of
3l1j square miles-a little less than one.
fourth of the area Of the State of Rhode
Island-to produce ties enough for one
yearly renewal Of CD 100000 ties for 49, 900
miles Of track; or a planted area of 1869
square miles, which is 25O square miles less
than the area OF the State Of Delaware, to
produce ties enough for six yearly renewals,
or $50, 800, 900 ties for the existing track
mileage of 40 900 miles. This, however, Is
on the srppostIon that the trees are already
grown TO a size large enough to make two
ties each. The growth Of trees being COM
paratively slow. as contrasted with the
growth of railways aud the consequent con-
sumption OF ties, this element of the prob
lem must not be lost sight Of. Assuming
tina: II will take twenty years for a planted
tree to reach size large enough to make
two ties, 1t would require $3.50 square miles
of tree plant--an area exceeding that of
Rhode Island and Connecticut-to yield a
supply sufficient for the above named mile
age during the twenty years the trees are
growing, or for three and one-third six-year
renewals for 10000 miles of track, and re-
quring I,27G,OOO,0oO ties, or the product of
27B acres of tree plant (2,s00 ties) TO each
mile. These figures merely indicate In a
rough way the scale upon which tree cul-
ture would have to be carried on in order 10
meet the wants of track mileage such as
we have at present: Railway construction,
however, is bound to go on until it reaches
a limit at which it ceases to be profitable.