Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-13
HUNDRED MILLION TIES
Railroads Use Timber Yearly. Eauiva.
lent 10 100000 Acres OF Forest.

In the construction of new track and
for renewals, the steam and street
railroads used. In 1906. over one hun
dred million cross-ties. The average
price paid was 4s cents per tie APP
proximately three-fourtns OF the ties
were hewed and one-fourth sawed.
oak. the chief wood used for ties,
furnishes more than ~ per cent. nearly
one-half OF the whole number, wnile
the southern pines, which rank second,
contribute ABOUT one-slXtn. Douglas
hr and cedar the next two, with APP
proximateiy equal quantities, supp.y
less than one-i1iteenth apiece. Chestnut,
cypress. western pune, lanlarack, hem
lock- and reuwoou are all OF import
ance, but no one of them furnishes
more than a small proportion.
Oak and southern pine stand highest in
botn total ana average value; the ay-
eraEe value of each liz 81 cents Chest
nut ranks next followed by cedar Hem
lock, at 2s cents, is the cheapest tic re-
ported.
More than three-fourth of all ties
are hewed; and with every wood from
which ties are made. except Douglas lir
and western pine. the number of hew-
ed ties Is greater than the number
sawed. About 10 times as many Doug
las fir ties are sawed as are hewed
or the oak ties little over one-sixtn
and OF the southern pine ties less than
cne-third are sawed. In contrast to
the southern pines is the western pine
OF which more than one-half the ties
are sawed. In general, when lumber
has relatively low value the proper
ton Of sawed ties Increases, because
the market for ties increases, because
while that for lumber is freq dentiy
sluggish. All western species are ar
fected by this condition, for stumpage
is abundant and its value relatively
low.
Ten per cent Of the ties purchased
were treated with preservatives either
before they were purchased or at the
treating plant of the railroad company.
Al least 10 railroad companies are OPP
Grating their own plants for the pres
ervation of their construction material.
of the many forms in which wood is
used. ties are fourth in cost, sawed
lumber being first, firewood second,
and shingles and laths third 1t has
been calculated that the amount of
wood used each year in ties is equiva-
lent TO the product of $685. 900 acres of
forest, and that to maintain every tie
In the track two trees must be growing.
With nearly 100000 miles of railroad
tracKaBe ana approximately 2,S0U tles
to the mile, there are over 100000, 900
ties constantly subject to wear and de-
cay. The railroads report that in the
form of ties cedar lasts II years, cy-
press 10 years, and redwood nine years.
These woods, however. lack the desiied
weight and hardness, and. what is
more important, they are not available
in the region of the trunk lines of the
central and eastern states. When II Is
considered, then, that the service of
the lognest-lived tie timbers in general
use-chestnut. whGe oak, tamarack.
spruce, and Douglas fir-is but seven
years, while with some. as the black
oaks it is but four years, whereas u
treated tie with equipment to lessen
wear will last Is years. It is apparent
how much the railroads can save n
preservative treatment of ties is uni
versally adopted The saving in the
drain upon the forests is of even great
er moment.
Details of the consumption of ties IN
1906 are contained In circular 1874 lust
issued by the forest service in co-oper.
alton with the bureau of the census
This pamphlet can be secured by APP
plication to the forester at washing
ton, ID. C.