USES OF THE FORESTS. 15 
that in England, the country most like ours, a family consists, 
onan average, of 4 7-10th persons. From the greater facility of 
procuring subsistence, marriage takes place earlier among us and 
families are larger. If we suppose them to average 6 persons, 
there are about 123,000 families in this State. If we suppose 
the average to be 7, there are more than 105,000 families. The 
prices of fuel vary very considerably in different parts of the 
State. T’he estimates of value that have been sent me, give 
not far from four dollars as the average price per cord of hard 
wood.* ‘The quantities required for a family’s fuel for a year, 
are very variously estimated. The medium is between 13 and 
14 cords. If we suppose the price to be only $3.50, and the 
quantity required for a single family to be only 12 cords a year, 
the average cost of fuel for each family will be found to be $42. 
If there are 123,000 families in the State, the annual expense 
will be $5,166,000. If we suppose only 105,000 families, the 
expense cannot be less $4,410,000. It would not be easy to 
ascertain the quantity of fuel used in the schools, work-shops, 
and furnaces in the State. 
The quantities consumed in the locomotives on the rail- 
roads, may be more nearly ascertained. The annual average 
quantity consumed on the Boston and Worcester Rail-road, 
for the last two years, is nearly 8000 cords, at a cost of some- 
what more than $31,000 per annum, or about $3.92 per cord. 
The average quantity consumed on the Western Rail-road, 
between Worcester and Albany, is 18,000 cords, at a lower 
cost per cord. T’he quantity used on the Boston and Providence 
Rail-road in 1843, was something over 4000 cords, at an average 
* I have letters from intelligent gentlemen im all the counties, giving the prices 
of hard wood in their several towns, and the average number of cords necessary 
for a single family. Stating these prices below the estimates given me, I set the 
price in Berkshire at $2; in Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire, at $3; in Barn- 
stable, Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Worcester, at $4; in 
Nantucket and Dukes, at $5; and in Suffolk at $6. Taking the inhabitants of 
the several counties, according to the census of 1840, I obtain the average price of 
$4 03 per cord, for the whole consumption by families. The quantities necessary 
for a family’s use, are stated by my correspondents at all numbers, from 4 to 30 
cords or more. The numbers given me by the fifteen persons most to be relied 
on, are 4, 6, 6, 8, 9, 10, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 17, 20, 20, 30. The average of these is 
13.and nearly 3 tenths. 
