264 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



of the railroads at that time for wood for buildings, repairs and 

 cars, was $38,000,000, and that the locomotives of the United 

 States consumed $56,000,000 worth for fuel annually. Sup- 

 posing this is correct, and that the wood is worth four dollars 

 a cord (a very small estimate), this yearly consumption of 

 fuel by the railroads would represent twenty-five years' growth 

 on 350,000 acres. 



By the last returns there are in the United States 72,633 

 miles of railroad in operation, and the addition of double 

 tracks and sidings will probably increase this amount to 

 85,000 miles. 



Supposing the life of a sleeper is seven years, the 85,000 

 miles of track consume annually 34,000,000 sleepers, or 

 thirty years' growth on 68,000 acres of the best natural wood- 

 lands ; or if the sleepers are raised artificially, some 700,000 

 acres would be required, planted with trees best adapted for 

 the purpose, regularly cropped and scientifically managed, to 

 supply the railroads already constructed. At least 125,000 

 miles of fencing are required to inclose the railroads of the 

 country, which could not have cost on an average less than 

 $700 a mile. One-half of this would barely represent the 

 cost of the wood employed, or $43,000,000 ; while it must 

 take annually lumber to the value of not less than $40,000,000 

 to keep these fences in rept^ir. 



By the last return I have seen (1872), there were in oper- 

 ation in the United States 65,000 miles of telegraph, which 

 destroyed in their construction 2,600,000 trees for poles, 

 while the annual repairs must call for some 250,000 moi'e.' 



The 20,000,000,000 matches manufactured in the United 

 States annually require, according to Mr. Marsh, 230,000 

 cubic feet of the best pine lumber. 



At least 1,450,000 cords of wood, principally pine, were 

 required to bake the 2,899,382 thousand bricks which the 

 census of 1870 gives as the number made in that year, requir- 

 insr the cutting ofi' the trees from 36,000 acres. 



The manufacture of shoe-pegs (a Massachusetts industry, 

 but now carried on beyond the limits of the State for want of 

 material here) consumes annually 100,000 cords of white birch 

 worth $1,000,000. 



In 1850, the value of the pine packing-boxes made in the 



