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CROSS-TIES 



The business of supplying the railroads with cross-ties is of impor- 

 tance, but mainly in the southern part of the state. The establishment 

 of treating-plants has made possible the utilization of red oak, beech, 

 and "softwoods." During the year 1909, the output of ties from the 

 southern region amounted to approximately four hundred and fifty 

 thousand, the great majority of which were destined for preservative 

 treatment. This year the market for ties was very poor, and ordinarily 

 the production would be much higher. More than half are obtained 

 from the bottomland type, and are made from timber that is either 

 defective or a little too small to make lumber, box-boards, or staves 

 economically. 



The price paid for ties delivered at the railroad varies somewhat 

 with the location of the station, the specifications, and the rigidity of 

 inspection. The following were average prices for southern Illinois 

 early in the year 1910: white oak, forty cents; red oak, thirty cents; 

 "softwoods," twenty-five cents. Beech is sometimes classed with the 

 gum, elm, sycamore, and other so-called "softwoods," but is often 

 kept separate, and commands a slightly higher price. Its hardness 

 makes it resist the wearing of the rail longer than the softer woods. 



The stumpage value of ties is very low — usually almost nothing for 

 softwoods, and about six to ten cents for oak. To a certain extent 

 this condition is due to temporary dullness in the market, but the 

 principal cause is the attitude of the owners themselves. They are 

 generally farmers who are satisfied to practically give their timber 

 away in order to get paid for the labor of felling the trees, hewing the 

 ties, and hauling them to market. Very often the actual wages earned 

 in this way are smaller than the same man would hire out for, because 

 he does not usually figure expenses, but is content if the sum received 

 for his ties seems like a fair profit. As long as so many people are 

 glad to dispose of ties on this basis, stumpage values are bound to 

 remain near the zero mark. 



There are two sources of waste in tie-making as now carried on. 

 First, many trees are cut just at the time when they are putting on 

 the maximum amount of valuable wood. Straight thrifty trees large 

 enough to make several ties are very easy to work up, but it is much 

 more profitable to allow them to reach larger size before cutting. 

 When small trees are used for ties they should be thinned from over- 

 crowded stands and should be of the less desirable species. Trees of 

 this class are not likely to be so easy to work up, and the woodsman lets 

 them stand. Second, a great deal of wood is wasted in hewing ties, 

 especially if the timber is knotty. Nevertheless, about eighty per cent 

 of the ties are hewed rather than sawed. 



