194 THE FOKESTS OF ST. MARY'S COUNTY 



shijaped out of the country every year. It goes princdjially to Baltimore 

 and Washington. Hardwood brings $2.50 per cord at the wharf, and 

 pine $3.00. 



From the data gathered within the county it is estimated that the 

 4000 families in St. Mary's County use approximately .55,000 cords 

 of wood annnallj', or an average of 14 cords pier year for each family. 

 Eleven cords can be cut on an average from an acre of forest land, so 

 that the annual consumption of firewood in the county represents a 

 stand of timber of about 5200 acres. On the 105,900 acres of forested 

 land there is now standing approximately 1,165,500 cords of wood, 

 counting 11 cords to an acre. This includes all standing timber over 

 4 inches in diameter on the stump. At the present rate of consumption 

 it would require about twenty-one years for all the wood to be consumed 

 in the county in the form of cordwood alone, not counting the annual 

 increment of the forest in tlie meantime. The volume of tliis yearly 

 increment of tlie forest is estimated to aliout balance the total consump- 

 tion, though the kind and quality of the timber is constantly deteriorating 

 under the present lack of proper conservative management. 



Eailway Ties. — The forests of St. Mary's County have long been an 

 important source for ties and other railroad construction timber. The 

 supply for these jnirposes is now, however, almost exhausted. Formerly 

 several hundred thousand ties were cut and shipped annually, but during 

 the last two years tlie shipments were less than 50,000 ties and hardly 

 any bridge timber. Up to the last year (1904) the railroad companies 

 accepted all kinds of oak and chestnut ties produced by the county, but 

 at the present time (1905) they desire oidy white oak and chestnut. 

 This will materially diminish tlie future cut of ties in the county. 

 Moreover, owners of timber are somewhat reluctant to sell white oak 

 to contractors who will not at the same time accept red and black oak 

 timber. 



The Spanish, red, yellow, and other black oaks are considered inferior 

 grades by railroad companies, and experience has proved to them that 

 the life of a tie cut from one of these oaks is only a little more than 

 half that of a wliite oak tie. Contractors idealize from 60 to 70 cents 



