= ' 54 



vises me that he classes it third best for this i)arpo3e , and considers it hnt little in- 

 ferior to white oak for cross-ties. (J. W. Thomas, president.) 



Su'uit Lauis and San Francisco Eaihcay Company. — Xinety-five per cenr. of ihe 

 timber fit for ties on our lines is composed of white, burr, or post oak. We hare oc- 

 casionally obtained a few ties made of what is called chinquapin oak, which is a va- 

 riety of chestnut oak, and has long been recognized to be one of the best varieties of 

 timber for cross-ties. (James Dun, chief engineer.) 



Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baliimore Hailroad Company. — We have bought sev- 

 eral thousand of QMercM8^rJ7Jws in the Virginia counties bordering on the Chesapeake 

 Bay this last season. I consider it every way equal, if not superior, to the Quercus 

 aiha ties. If you can direct me where the bark of the Priniis is being used, I will at 

 once send our agent to see what we can do towards getting the cross-tie in the 

 spring after the trees are barked. (J. X. Mills, superintendent.) 



Mexican Central Bailicay Company. — We are using on our railroad now. so far as we 

 draw from the United States, for the main line, cedar grown in northern Michigan 

 and southern Canada, and we have already contracted for 1,000.000 ties for next 

 years supply. 



We have also bought 25,000 white-oak ties. These are the only oak ties that have 

 been purchased in the three and a half years of my j)residency, with the exception of 

 some small lots of bridge ties. So, as you see, we have not been very great sinners 

 in the matter of the use of white oak. 



The 25,000 oak ties were for use in curves : heretofore we have used on curves raes- 

 quite tics grown in Mexico: the supply was never plentiful, and it had materiilly 

 diminished. 



The information you give us. therefore, may become of great im}>ortance. (Levi 

 C. Wado, president.) 



