28 



The Forests of Maryland. 



tically all of the keg staves were sent out of the State, their principal 

 use being for nails, bolts, horseshoes, etc. In cutting keg staves small 

 trees are often utilized, the most desirable size being from six to eight 

 inches in diameter. The tops are utilized to a diameter of three inches. 



Poles. — The cut of poles reported was 62,135, -with a value of $180,- 

 012. Practically all of the western, central and southern counties con- 

 tributed to this output, of which nearly all was chestnut, the only ex- 

 ception being 4,000 white cedar and cypress poles cut along the Poco- 

 moke River and its tributaries in Worcester and Wicomico Counties. 

 Many small poles are used in local telephone lines, but the bulk of 

 them are shipped out of the State. The Chestnut Blight, which is so 

 seriously affecting the chestnut trees, has forced great quantities of 

 chestnut on the market in the past few years, causing over-production 

 with resulting low prices. 



Shingles.— The 13,842,000 shingles valued at $45,901, and cut in 

 1914, were principally chestnut, with a small amount of white pine 

 in the western part of the State and cyj^ress in the southeastern, sec- 

 tion. All except three counties of the State reported a cut of shingles, 

 but in only three of them did the cut exceed 1,000,000, viz : Mont- 

 gomery, Frederick and Howard, in which all the shingles were chest- 

 nut. These were cut either by portable sawmills, many of which are 

 equipped for their manufacture, or by individually operated shingle 

 machines. 



Laif/i..— 14,837,000 lath were cut in 1914, with a value of $45,282. 

 The cut was distributed over nearly all of the counties, Allegany, 

 Dorchester, Garret, Wicomico and Worcester each reporting a mil- 

 lion or more. Pine was the species almost universally used, and in 

 nearly every case the lath were cut from material not suited for lum- 

 ber, so that they may be regarded as more or less a by-product of the 

 lumber mills. 



Mine Ties. — This product is only reported from the three western- 

 most counties of the State, in the mining region. The total output was 

 260,000, valued at $39,000. Low-grade material too small for saw 

 timber was generally used. A variety of species enter into the pro- 

 duct, but the principal kinds are birch, maple and several kinds of 

 oak, the latter supplying the bulk of the cut. 



Posts.— The total production— 133,645 posts, valued at $20,587— 

 Avas a local produ,et reported in nearly every county of the State. Most 

 of them were sold locally and consisted principally of locust, cedar 

 and chestnut. 



Export Logs. — This product consists of large, choice logs of wal- 

 nut, poplar, oak, and a few other valuable species, culled from the 

 forests, shipped to Baltimore, and there exported in the rough. The 



