266 FOREST PRODUCTS 



Other miscellaneous species are gum, maple, beech, spruce, birch, elm, 

 white pine, lodgepole pine, eucalyptus, hackberry, hickory, sycamore and 

 locust. 



With the exception of western pine and hemlock, the first ten species 

 are distinguished by their durability in contact with the soil. There is a 

 strong tendency to increase the demand for such perishable woods as 

 gum, beech, maple, birch, elm, etc., which, when treated with some 

 preservative, last as long or longer than the more durable varieties such 

 as oak, longleaf pine, cedar, chestnut, etc., when used in the untreated 

 condition. 



Between 8 and 15 per cent of the total number of ties used annually 

 are for new track so that the demand for renewals or decayed or worn-out 

 ties accounts for the large majority of new ties used. 



Steam railroads use between 90 and 94 per cent of the ties. The 

 electric roads use the same kinds as the steam railroads, but usually 

 adopt smaller specifications and use " seconds " or those which fail to 

 meet the specifications for No. i ties. The number of ties used on narrow 

 gauge railways is negligible. 



About 80 per cent of all ties are hewed; in fact it is recognized as the 

 common method of producing ties except on the Pacific Coast, where 

 over 60 per cent of the Douglas fir ties are sawed. Nearly 90 per cent 

 of the oak ties are hewed. 



About 40 per cent of all our ties are produced in the South, which is 

 the center of production for southern pine gum and cypress ties. The 

 central hardwood region, embracing the territory tributary to the Ohio 

 river and Illinois and Missouri, produces about 22 per cent of all the ties. 

 More oak ties come from this region than from any other. The Lake 

 states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota produce most of the cedar, 

 tamarack and hemlock ties. The North Atlantic region, including New 

 England, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland, produce 

 most of the chestnut ties and considerable of oak. The Pacific Coast, 

 including the states of Washington, Oregon and California, produce only 

 about 6 per cent of the ties and these consist largely of Douglas fir sawed 

 ties together with some western red cedar, western pine and redwood ties. 

 The Rocky Mountain region produces only about 5 per cent of the ties 

 and these consist largely of Douglas fir, western red cedar, western larch, 

 lodgepole pine and western pine ties. 



The principal species used for cross ties and the number of each are 

 shown in the following table for several years as published by the U. S. 

 Census Bureau and the Forest Service: 



