POLES AND PILING 



303 



Almost all the redwood poles, which are cut exclusively in California, 

 are sawed because this tree is seldom found in sizes suitable for pole pur- 

 poses. Redwood makes an excellent pole because of its superior dura- 

 bility, light weight, sufficient strength, etc., but its sawed form, requiring 

 an additional cost for production, prevents its wider use over the country 

 in competition with cedar and other poles placed on the market in the 

 round form. 



Other species entering to a limited extent in the pole market in order 

 of quantity are osage orange, used locally in Oklahoma, Texas and Kan- 

 sas, spruce in the Northeast, hemlock, locust, sassafras, catalpa, mul- 

 berry, butternut, ash, elm, cottonwood and a few others used locally. 



When it is considered that five kinds of wood cedar, chestnut, oak, 

 pine and cypress supply over 90 per cent of all poles used it is readily 

 observed that the total amount supplied by other species is of com- 

 paratively little consequence in the pole trade. 



The following table prepared by the Census Bureau in co-operation 

 with the U. S. Forest Service shows the number of poles purchased by 

 species for the years 1907 to 1911, inclusive, and for the year 1915: 



NUMBER OF POLES PURCHASED 



1 Included with all other. 



