b* iat 
335 
may vary from seven to ten cents per pound, depending upon market 
conditions. The fact that with oven retorts the charcoal is more or less 
of a by-product makes it very hard for operators of brick kilns to com- 
pete in the open market with the prices made by operators of retorts and 
ovens, since the latter can make a profit on other valuable products, such 
as wood alcohol and acetate of lime, and powder companies will not main- 
tain kilns of their own when they can buy their charcoal in the open 
market for less than the cost of production. 
Ties AND MINE TIMBERS 
RAILROAD CROSS-TIES 
While tie-treating plants in the state are getting a very large majority 
of their ties from neighboring states to the south of us, Arkansas, Mis- 
souri, Tennessee, and Kentucky, the number of cross-ties actually produced 
in Illinois is by no means insignificant. Reports from ten railroad com- 
panies show that in 1921, ties to the number of 913,940 were produced in 
Illinois and landed along their rights-of-way. Making an allowance for two 
roads out of this number which did not purchase their normal number in 
1921, we can safely say that one million ties is the normal output of the 
whole state of Illinois, and of this number from 300,000 to 500,000 would 
be produced in southern Illinois, the majority of these coming from the 
region covered by the forest survey party this past summer. Assuming that 
it takes 32 ties of good size to make 1,000 board feet of lumber, there 
would be 32,000,000 board feet of timber meguicy d for this purpose every 
year in Illinois. 
Specifications, Grades and Sizes, Species 
According to the specifications of one of the leading railway com- 
panies purchasing ties in Illinois, “All ties shall be free from any defects 
that will impair their strength or durability as cross-ties, such as decay, 
splits, shakes, or large knots, and should be made from trees which have 
been felled not longer than one month. All ties shall be- straight, well 
manufactured, cut square at the ends, bottom and top parallel, and have 
the bark entirely removed. All ties shall be 8 feet, or 8 feet 6 inches long.” 
Ties according to size are graded as follows: 
TABLE 8 
Grade Sawed or hewn top, bottom, Sawed or hewn top and bottom 
and sides 
1 None accepted 6" thick X 6” wide on top 
2 6” thick X 7” wide on top 6" thick X 7” wide on top 
7” thick X 6” wide on top 
3 6" thick X 8” wide on top » 7" thick X 7” wide on top 
6" thick X 8” wide on top 
4 7” thick & 8” wide on top 7” thick X 8” wide on top 
5 7” thick * 9” wide on ton 7” thick & 9” wide on top 
