MARKET AND STUMPAGE. 17 



Hemlock. — The cut of hemlock in the State is relatively small and 

 unimportant. Much of it is used locally for general construction 

 purposes. Retailed it brings from SI 7 to $26 per thousand board 

 feet. A small amount of hemlock bark is consumed in the State for 

 tanning. 



Ash. — Ash is used for wagon stock, picker sticks for looms, furni- 

 ture, hockey sticks, rake and shovel handles, and the like. It is 

 bought by factories for from $25 to $30 per thousand, though it occa- 

 sionally retails as low as from $20 to $22. 



Hickory. — Nearly all the hickory used in Connecticut for carriage 

 spokes is imported, since the native timber is too small and too limby 

 for the purpose. For automobile spokes, however, it finds a ready 

 market, and factories buy it in the form of short-spoke bolts or in 

 plank, paying usually from $30 to $40 per thousand. Native hickory 

 is also manufactured into hockey sticks, tool handles, and picker 

 sticks for looms. 



TIES. 



The marKet for crossties in Connecticut is remarkably steady. 

 Ties are purchased by railroads at any point along their rights of way, 

 which often very materially shortens the length of haul. The New 

 York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad in its published specifications, 

 dated January 1, 1909, distinguishes three classes of 8-foot ties, 

 "Class I, " "Class II, " and 7 by 9 inch ties. In addition, 7 by 9 inch 

 switch timbers, sawed square, are purchased in lengths designated 

 in special orders. 



Class I and Class II ties must be of chestnut or of white, "yellow" 

 (black), or "rock" (chestnut) oak. Class I ties, if sawed on all four 

 sides, must have at least 8 inches face and 6 inches thickness; if flat- 

 tened on only two sides, they must have 6 inches or over face and be 

 6 inches thick. In the first case they obviously contain 32 board feet 

 apiece and run 31| to the thousand board feet. If flattened on only 

 two sides, with 6 inches face, the Class I tie contains a little over 30 

 board feet, and about 33 ties are equivalent to a thousand board feet 

 of lumber. The railroad pays 50 cents apiece for first-class ties, a 

 price equivalent to about $16 per thousand board feet. 



Class II ties must have not less than 5 inches face and 6 inches 

 thickness, and must not exceed 10 per cent of the total number of 

 Class I ties accepted. Flattened on two sides they ordinarily con- 

 tain less than 27 board feet and run about 38 to the thousand. They 

 bring 30 cents apiece, or about $11.40 per thousand board feet. 



The heavy 7 by 9 ties must be of chestnut, 7 by 9 inches square if 



sawed on all four sides, or with 7 inches face and 7 inches depth if 



sawed or hewed on only two sides. If square, such ties contain 42 



board feet apiece and run about 23.8 to the thousand. If flattened 



23329°— Bull. 96—12 2 



