USES OF THE FORESTS. 15 



that in England, the country most like onrs, a family consists, 

 on an average, of 4 7-1 Oth persons. From the greater facility of 

 procuring subsistence, marriage takes place earlier among us and 

 families are larger. If we suppose them to average 6 persons, 

 there are about 123,000 families in this State. If we suppose 

 the average to be 7, there are more than 105,000 families. The 

 prices of fuel vary very considerably in different parts of the 

 State. The estimates of value that have been sent me, give 

 not far from four dollars as the average price per cord of hard 

 wood.* The quantities required for a family's fuel for a year, 

 are very variously estimated. The medium is between 13 and 

 14 cords. If we suppose the price to be only $3.50, and the 

 quantity required for a single family to be only 12 cords a year, 

 the average cost of fuel for each family will be found to be $42. 

 If there are 123,000 families in the State, the annual expense 

 will be $5,166,000. If we suppose only 105,000 families, the 

 expense cannot be less $4,410,000. It would not be easy to 

 ascertain the quantity of fuel used in the schools, work-shops, 

 and furnaces in the State. 



The quantities consumed in the locomotives on the rail- 

 roads, may be more nearly ascertained. The annual average 

 quantity consumed on the Boston and Worcester Rail-road, 

 for the last two years, is nearly 8000 cords, at a cost of some- 

 what more than $31,000 per annum, or about $3.92 per cord. 

 The average quantity consumed on the Western Rail-road, 

 between Worcester and Albany, is 18.000 cords, at a lower 

 cost per cord. The quantity used on the Boston and Providence 

 Rail-road in 1843, was something over 4000 cords, at an average 



* I have letters from intelligent gentlemen in all the counties, giving the prices 

 of hard wood in their several towns, and the average number of cords necessary 

 for a single family. Stating these prices below the estimates given me, I set the 

 price in Berkshire at $2 ; in Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire, at $3 ; in Barn- 

 stable, Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Worcester, at $4 ; in 

 Nantucket and Dukes, at $5 ; and in Suffolk at $6. Taking the inhabitants of 

 the several counties, according to the census of 1840, 1 obtain the average price of 

 $4 03 per cord, for the whole consumption by families. The quantities necessary 

 for a family's use, are stated by my correspondents at all numbers, from 4 to 30 

 cords or more. The numbers given me by the fifteen persons most to be relied 

 on, are 4, 6, 6, 8, 9, 10, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 17, 20, 20, 30. The average of these is 

 13 and nearly 3 tenths. 



