42 
wood than in the uncolored portions. The injury to ties of this wood 
by the spikes is twofold, mechanical and chemical, both favoring decay 
around the spikes and under the rails. Boring holes for the spikes 
would add to the durability of Chestnut ties, and without much detri- 
ment to the adhesion of the spikes after two or three years of service. 
Under traffic as heavy as that of the Bostou and Albany Railroad, 
the Chestnut tie generally fails by the rails cutting into the face; but, 
excepting at the entrance of the great yards, this does not occur to a 
marked extent until the fermentation mentioned has taken place around 
the spikes and under the rails. 
When the rings of wood are in a tangential position to the rails they 
separate by the breaking of the tracheids to a depth of from one to 
three inches. Those rings which are cut through and present their 
edges to the surface, separate and become filled with sand, which is 
crushed into the wood by the passing of trains, and the sand will be 
found between the third and fourth layers under the rails. In such 
cases the fibers are between " the upper and nether mill-stone," and are 
abraded very rapidly, reciprocal action or abrasion also taking place at 
the base of the rails. 
The decay of Chestnut ties is usually \er^ slow, and on ties affected 
before they are placed in the road-betZ the decay is generally upward. 
Preserving Chestnut tics. — But few experiments have been made in 
preserving this wood for ties, on account of its natural durability. 
Those experiments made with corrosive sublimate hardened the fiber 
and increased the wearing capacity. 
FUNGI. 
The fungi which I have found on Chestnut ties in the ^ew England 
States are as follows : 
Polyporus versicolor, Fr. ; very common on posts also. 
Polyporus Mrsutus, Fr. 
Polyporus pcrgamcnus, Fr. ; on ties with the bark on. 
Polyporus sulphureus, Fr. ; without doubt very common. 
Polyporus spumcus, (?) Fr. ; on ties removed from the track. 
Agaricus Americana, Pk. 
Agaricus sublateritius, Fr. ; very common. 
White Cedar, Ghamwcyparis spliceroidea, Spach. No. 329. 
This tree is found from " Southern Maine, near the coast, to Northern 
Florida, and along the Gulf Coast to the valley of the Pearl River, 
Mississippi, w * reaching a height of 75 to SO feet, and sometimes with a 
trunk 3 feet in diameter, generally growing " in deep, cold swamps." * 
In the New England States this tree is a very slow grower, in the 
majority of cases, the annual layers ranging from 1-32 to 1-lGof an inch ; 
some exceed this width, but in several ties measured they did not ex- 
* C.S. Sargent, Vol. IX., Census Report, 18S0. 
