The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-02-05
4 HUNDRED
MILLION TIES
Railroads Paid $50, 600, 600 in
1906, and Used Timber
Equivalent to the Whole
Product of eoO,o0o Acres
of Forest.

The Southern Lumberman says: In
the construction of new track and for
renewals, the steam and street rail
roads used. in 1906, over one hundred
million crossties The average price
paid was 4S cents per tie. Approxi-
mately three-fourths of the ties were
heWed and One-fourth sawed.
Oak, the chief wood used for ties,
furnishes more than A per cent, near
ly one-nalf of the whole number, while
the southern pines, which rank Sec
ond, contribute about one-sixth. Doug
las mr. and cedar, the next two, with
approximately equal quantities. supply
less than one-fifteenth apiece. Chest
nut, cypress. western pine, tamarack
hemlock and redwood are all of i'm
portance, but no one of them furnishes
more than a small proportion
Oak and southern pine stand highest
in both total and average value; the
average value of each is 81 cents.
Chestnut ranks next, followed by &C.
dar. Hemlock, at % cents, is the
cheapest tie reported
More than three-fourths of all ties
are heWed; and with every wood from
which ties are made, except Douglas
mr. and western pine, the number of
heWed ties is greater than the num-
Der sawed. About ten times as many
Douglas fir ties are sawed as are hew-
ed OF the oak ties little over one
sixth and of the southern pine ties
less than onethird are sawed. In con-
trast to the southern pines is the west
ern pine, of which more than one-half
the ties are sawed. In general, when
lumber has a relatively low value the
1,<O1 NCrfI 81 -
cause the market for ties is always
active. while that for lumber is fire.
quently sluggish. All western species
are affected by this condition, for
stumpage is abundant and its value
relatively low,
Ten per cent. OF ties purchased
We're treated with preservatiyes either
before thew were purchased or at the
treating plant Of the railroad COM
pany. At least ten railroad een1pa-
MES are operating their own plants for
the preservation OF their construction
material. =
Of the many f9rms in which wood
Is used, >tfss are fDurth In cost sawed
lumber being first. f1rewood second
and SHINGLES and laths third. It has
been calculated that the amount of
wood used each wear in ties is equiv
d III 10 Juo OItguIcI- OF OuV-bUU acres
of forest. and that to maintain every
tie in the track two trees must be
growing.
With nearly 500 ono mites of railroad
irackage and approximately $500 ties
to the mile, there are over 500 900. 900
ties constantly subject to wear and
decay. The railroads report that In
the form of ties cedar lasts eleven
years, cypress ten years and redwood
nine years. These woods however.
lack the desired 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 it is considered. then,
that the service of the IOngest-livAd tie
timbers in general use-chestnut.
white oak, tamrack, spruce and Doug
las frs but seven years, while with
some, as the black oaks. it is but four
years, whereas a treated tie with
to lessen wear. will last fif-
teen years. it is apparent how much
The railroads can save if Dreservative
treatment of ties is universally adopt-
I'D. The saving in the drain upon the /
forests Is OF even eater moment.
Details of the consumption of ties in |
800 are contained in circular 124. iust /
ssued BY the forest service In co-orer- !
atom with the bureau of census. This /
pamphlet can be secured bv aprlica- /
ION TO the forester at Washington, D. !