(o Discussion of Industries 
important in high-grade repair work where great strength is re-! 
quired. Some specifications demand oak only for the framework 
of pilots and for passenger-car draft-timbers and sills, while 
either oak or ash must be used for car trucks. Oak is demanded 
generally for end sills of tenders and bumper beams of locomo- 
tives, car bearers, bolsters, posts, and braces. Spruce is mainly 
used for running boards. White pine, in addition to general 
construction uses such as siding and framing, is used for tool 
hoxes, core hoxes, and trim. Yellow poplar, one of the higher- 
priced woods, is used along with mahogany, maple, and the 
oaks for passenger car finish, The higher-grade quarter-sawed 
oaks, showing such beautiful grain. in interior finish, come 
from the central western States. Hard maple is used in con- 
siderable quantities for car platforms. Douglas fir, like yellow 
pine, is used for sills and beams where strength is required. 
Mahogany, supplemented by imitations from birch and other 
woods, is the principal finish of passenger ears. 
The average cost of all woods, $59.32, is lower than in most 
industries. Among the reasons why the cost of car stock 1s 
comparatively low, notwithstanding the fact that a ‘good grade 
of material is demanded, are that the stock for car repairing 
need not be dressed and that the railroads can haul stock from 
distant States without paying heavy charges for transportation. 
The form of the raw material is generally rough planks, but 
much of it is dimension stock for posts, sills, ete. The lengths, 
widths, and thicknesses of the rough planks are generally cut 
to order. The standard lengths for car and dimension oak are 
8, 9, 10, 12, 14, and 16 feet. Dimension-sawed common oak 
plank and timbers used for car building purposes must be 
free from wind shakes, dry rot, rotten knots, or defects which 
impair the strength of the piece. 
While New York contributes but 1,335,000 feet of the raw 
material, there is a great possibility of developing a splendid 
market at home. Railroad companies prefer to buy local stock 
whenever it is available and New York woodlot owners should 
endeavor to ascertain the form, grade, and species desired by 
purchasing agents in their vicinity. Only a few of the 18 
species needed by the railroads are necessarily purchased 
