The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1905-01-27
PRACTICAL FORESTRY.
Pennsyivania Railroads Plan TO
Grow Its Own Ties.
Extensive PLANTING OF TREES


sand Acre. - How the Trees Are
PI.asea - yellow Lee.sss Furnish
Msss Dsrasie and La.fing Material
Yer Cre..ties.
The Pennsylvania Railroad has IN
dertaken the task of cuItivating tim
Der 20 furnish its crossties and viii
plant $4,000 trees this year. says the
Philadelphia Public Ledger. The task
OF setting out 2s0.53O Seeding trees
was finished recently. The manage
ment OF the company was prompted 10
raise trees by a realization OF the ap-
preaching scarcity OF timber. IL Is the
nrst railroad In the United States Ia
provide for future ties
Acting under recommendations OF
special committee of officers OF the
transportation department a corps Of
men II preparing to plant 10000 trees
In the spring and 100000 next fall
This viii require 2!sO acres OF land.
which has already been selected along
the principal divisions OF the system
IL Il estimated that IL viii require
thirty years for the trees TO attain
their full growth and that to supply
the roads demand IL will be necessary
to plant 39.OOO.OOO trees.
The magnitude of this undertaking
was revealed ia an address by ]. T.
Richards. chief engineer OF mainte-
nance Of way Of the Pennsylvania rail
road, before the American Forestry
Association Of the United States and
the forestry congress. recenjly In Ses-
sion nj Washington. Mr.. Richards said
that his company had undertaken the
task after mature deliberatiOn. The
management does not contemplate sup
plying all OF its needs. but hopes TO en-
courage others 10 engage in the busi-
ness.
Mr.. Richards said that the number
of crosstieS in use on all railroads in
the United States T. estimated to be
about 6aOOOO.00. The number used
annually Tor extensions and repairs Il
estimated 10 he from 90.OO0O 0O TO no..
000.OOO. requiring annually the entire
product Of 20.Osn acres or woodland
Each year the supply Of timber Is far
ther from the base OF transportation,
many OF the former sources OF supply
having been exhausted. The Pennsyi-
vania railroad Is now compelled to get
its supply from inland Virginia, West
Virginia. Kentucky and other southern
states
The annual consumption Of croSstieS
on the Pennsylvania railroad east OF
Pfttsburg and Erie for repairs only -
estimated 10y Mr. Richards to be- 3.oso.-
on. About JO.OsD additional are re
quire,i annually for new work. II 5
evident. therefore Ia asserts that all
railroads must prepare for thc future.
for the supply viii br exhausted soon
Especially Is this true ~ white oak
and yellow pine The FPunsy lyauia
road has experimental with the yellow
locust trees, and its paintings have all
bspn 20 that kind Ties made ~ this
material are more Durable and Ia~tIn:
Chief Engineer E.char,is said that
tire trT--s planted have been Seedlings
two or three years old and cost, includ
Ing labor about - cents each. They
were VlsHt,-i ten fc,t apart. avcraE
ing about $50 - tlr sore. although -
S1I trC--S planted rs~-"nfiy Wrrs Pla,-c~i
six fert apart and ~ - w--s SGT eight
fe-t apart Tie total number PitUrNI
by the railroad company IN rrHH~y !va-
MA - a. follows. Newton Hamilton
I3Cln. TOnewa-1. -. i'j1- P-fusrsy- ~.
-. west ~ AtClcu. l';-3-. A'-icu.
slOS. Juuiata Rr!dcr 2t7.;". New
port sl5-5- Vintage. 5".ss'. a'sd alr-C
the Atglru and Su~Iu"LAuuH l-au,h.
656s'. a total - S>~',ss' ;r.-,-~
The land. except trart ~ fourteen
acrv~ 81 Newton Hamilton. = owned
by the railroad To supply the .u-r-a~
INK n,,>l~ - Pennsylvania ai1o.. NJ
Richards estimates thar y Viii - usy--
ssSaTy - plant l.bItEsb trc,s each
year for V--rtoi ~ thirty years. tie
tine Required for 4 try - mature u
planted ten f-rt apart, or So % the
aCre. II viii entail the r,,uiinuouS r!~s
- o. go acrs~. ~ IS2 SQUARE mills. o.
IRpst