48 THE SCHOOL BOOK OF FORESTRY 



period in two hundred and fifty prosperous agri- 

 cultural counties in thirty-two different states. 



The railroads consume about 15 per cent, of 

 our total lumber cut. They use between 

 100,000,000 and 125,000,000 railroad ties a year. 

 It used to be that most of the cross-ties were 

 of white oak cut close to the places where they 

 were used. Now Douglas fir, southern pine and 

 other woods are being used largely throughout 

 the Middle Western and Eastern States. The 

 supply of white oak ties is small and the prices 

 are high. Some years ago, when white oak was 

 abundant, the railroads that now are using other 

 cross-ties would not have even considered such 

 material for use in their roadbeds. The fact that 

 other ties are now being used emphasizes the fact 

 that we are short on oak timber in the sections 

 where this hardwood formerly was common. 



The furniture industry uses hardwoods of 

 superior grade and quality. The factories of 

 this industry have moved from region to region 

 as the supply of hardwoods became depleted. 

 Originally, these factories were located in the 

 Northeastern States. Then, as the supplies of 

 hardwood timber in those sections gave out, they 

 moved westward. They remained near the Corn 



