68 



The population of the State, according to the last ceusus, is 

 about 1,100,000. Suppose each family to consist, on an aver- 

 age, of five persons, and we then have 220,000 famihes in the 

 State. Suppose the quantity of fuel required for the use of each 

 family to be, on an average, six cords every year, and the aver- 

 age price of all kinds of wood to be $5.00 per cord. Then the 

 annual cost of wood consumed for fuel in our houses is $6,600,000. 



By the last Annual Reports of the several railroad corpora- 

 tions, Ave learn that the expense of wood for fuel consumed in the 

 locomotives, during the year, was . . . $1,288,838 



which, added to the amount above, . . . 6,600,000 



makes an aggregate of .... . 7,888,838 

 as the annual expense of wood for fuel in the State. Much wood 

 is, undoubtedly, supplied from foreign sources. But, regarding 

 our estimate of the home consumption as within moderate bounds, 

 and connecting it with the statements in the railroad reports, we 

 are compelled to believe that a much greater quantity of wood is 

 annually prepared for market than what appears in the returns 

 of the assessors ; that instead of being estimated, as it is, at 

 $2,960,915, its value should be at least $4,000,000. 



From a valuable work on the Industry of Massachusetts, re- 

 cently prepared by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, from 

 returns by the assessors of the several cities and towns, we learn 

 that the annual value of Avood consumed for fuel, and of manu- 

 factured articles of which wood is a material, was, in the year 

 ending June 1, 1855, as follows : — 



Firewood, prejmred for marlcet, 



Charcoal, " " " . . . 



Lumber, including shingles, clapboards, &c., 



Chair and cabinet ware, .... 



Sashes, doors and window blinds. 



Musical instruments, (cases, legs and other wood,) 



Boxes of all sorts, 



Casks, 



Wooden ware, ....... 



Lasts and shoe pegs, ..... 



Making an aggregate of 



$2,960,915 

 237,460 

 3,664,462 

 3,969,982 

 936,959 

 361,150 

 997,783 

 802,374 

 745,711 

 192,350 



14,869,146 



