6 BULLETIN 549, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Table 6. — Number of crossties reported purchased in 1915 by steam railroads representing 

 66.J4 per cent of the mileage in the eastern region, by classes of railroads and kinds of 

 wood. 



Kind of wood. 



Total. 



Class I — 

 Operating 

 revenues, 



over 

 81,000,000. 



Class II.— 

 Operating 

 revenues, 

 8100,000- 

 $1,000,000. 



Class III.— 

 Operating 

 revenues, 



under 

 $100,000. 



All kinds 



Red oak 



White oak 



Southern pine 



Chestnut 



Cedar 



Beech 



Maple 



Birch 



Gum 



Eastern tamarack. . . 



Hemlock 



Cypress 



Western yellow pine 



Douglas fir 



Allother 



30, 007, 583 



9,797,314 



9, 336, 366 



3,922,0S0 



2, 508, 853 



2,116,721 



648, 774 



578, 373 



267,661 



208, 550 



111,833 



27, 670 



19, 751 



3,364 



2,491 



457, 782 



28, 365, 491 



9,511,011 



8, 810, 429 



3, 727, 961 



2,201,641 



1,955,577 



613,016 



547, 471 



261,080 



207, 700 



56, 192 



17, 497 



14, 763 



441, 153 



615,807 



77, 926 



308, 817 



22, 315 



102, 198 



11,000 



15, 780 



12,582 



6,581 



45, 453 

 6,789 



2,491 



7,875 



1, 026, 285 



208, 377 

 221, 120 

 171,804 

 205, 014 

 150. 144 

 19,978 

 18, 320 



850 

 10,188 

 3,384 

 4,988 

 3,364 



8,754 



Table 7. — Number of crossties reported purchased in 1915 by steam railroads representing 

 72.13 per cent of the mileage in the southern region, by classes of railroads and kinds of 

 wood. 



Kind of wood. 



Total. 



Class I. — 



Operating 



revenues, 



over 



$1,000,000. 



Class II.— 

 Operating 

 revenues, 

 $100,000- 

 $1,000,000. 



Class III.— 

 Operating 

 revenues, 



under 

 $100,000. 



All kinds 



White oak 



Southern pine 



Cypress 



Red oak 



Beech 



Maple 



Chestnut 



Western yellow pine 



Gum 



Hemlock 



Cedar 



All other 



17, 840, 648 



15,571,927 



372, 150 



1,250,774 



413, 889 

 678, 685 

 107,930 

 25,919 

 104 



15,524 

 ""'266' 



27 

 8,496 



1,017,947 



462, 138 



309, 310 



164, 056 



17,597 



1,500 



1,598 



16, 581 



34,800 



975 



432 



8,960 



PRESERVATION. 



The deterioration of crossties in the United States by preventable 

 decay uses up a great deal of timber. By adopting methods of 

 preventing decay and using devices which retard wear, the quantity 

 of wood consumed annually for this purpose could be greatly 

 decreased. 



There are many different causes of deterioration which necessitate 

 the renewal of ties, the principal ones being decay, mechanical wear, 

 breakage, insect attack, splitting, etc. In recent years the railroads 

 have been prolonging the life of their ties by the use of preservatives, 

 principally zinc chloride and creosote oils. By these means a number 

 of species have been made available for ties which heretofore were 



