26 



The Forests op Maeyland. 



poplar, which makes the best pulpwood of any of the native species 

 and is cut for the purpose over a wider area than any other, forms 

 most of the remaining third of the total output. 



Railroad Ties. — The 925,392 railroad ties valued at $440,685, as re- 

 ported in 1914, indicate the importance of this business. Railroad ties 

 are cut in all parts of the State, although the Eastern Shore section 

 ■contributes but a small per cent, and since little capital is required to 

 produce them and they are salable at the nearest railroad point, there 

 are great numbers of producers. A ready market and little expense of 

 manufacture stimulate the cutting of a great many small, thrifty trees 

 for this use before they have reached the most profitable merchantable 

 size. 



White oak, always a preferred tie material, formerly constituted 

 the larger part of the product, but it is now becoming scarce, and 

 other oaks are being largely substituted, especially where preservative 

 treatment is possible. The principal species used are white oak, red 

 oak (several species), chestnut, and a small per cent of pine. 



Piling. — The counties bordering the Chesapeake Bay and its 

 tributaries contribute the great bulk of the piling that is produced in 

 the State. Of the amount produced probably three-fourths is oak, and 

 the remainder principally pine. Wliite oak, because of its greater 

 strength and durability, brings a higher price, but several of the red 

 oaks, particularly pin oak, which generally produces long, straight 

 stems suitable for the purpose, are much used. Pine is the cheapest 

 and most easily obtained in desired shapes, but it is the least durable. 



Cordwood. — The 85,355 cords of wood valued at $270,380, report- 

 ed as sold in 1914, represent but a small portion of the wood used in 

 the State, since no account was made of that cut and used for home 

 consumption. Of the amount produced, approximately one-third was 

 hardwood, chiefly oak and chestnut, while the remainder was princi- 

 pally pine. It is a low-grade product which cannot be profitably ship- 

 ped for any great distance, and therefore the principal markets are 

 found in the nearby towns where the local demand is usually supplied 

 directly to the consumer by the adjacent landowners. 



Mine Props. — This industry is confined principally to two widely 

 separated sections of the State — the eastern shore peninsula and 

 western Maryland — and the size of props, woods used, and method of 

 sale are entirely different in the two localities. In the Eastern Shore 

 section loblolly pine forms practically the entire output, and props 27 

 to 36 feet long are cut from the larger trees. 



Trees ordinarily used for this purpose are from 14 to 20 inches in 

 diameter, and the product is generally sold by the ton. The props are 

 shipped to the anthracite coal fields and there cut into suitable lengths. 



