30 
BULLETIN 1437, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
RAILROADS 
Alder is transported chiefly by common-carrier railroads, in the 
form of logs to the centrally located sawmills and wood-using fac- 
tories, and in the form of lumber from both the woods and centrally 
located sawmills to the wood-using factories. 
WEIGHT OF LOGS AND LUMBER 
In Washington and Oregon, with one exception, freight charges 
on both logs and lumber are based on the weight of the shipment. 
Alder logs weigh 7,000 to 7,500 pounds per thousand feet, log scale; 
green lumber, 4,000 to 4,500 pounds per thousand ; kiln-dried lum- 
ber, with a moisture content of about 8 per cent, 2,250 to 2,500 
pounds. The small size of the timber precludes a large log scale per 
car, a load usually averaging 7,000 to 8,000 board feet. 
LOG RATES 
By far the largest portion of the logs transported by rail originates 
in Washington. In this State the logs are usually cut in 8-foot 
lengths. This is a very satisfactory length from the standpoint 
of lumber manufacture. Moreover, 8-foot logs take the bolt rate. 
The Northern Pacific, Great Northern, and Chicago, Milwaukee & 
St. Paul Railway companies have established the intrastate distance 
rates on bolt-length logs given in Table 9. These rates apply only 
to carload lots of a minimum weight of 50,000 pounds. For rates 
to Portland, Oreg., from points in Washington, 3 cents per 100 
pounds should be added to the log-bolt rates established for 
Washington. 
The Portland Electric Power Co. hauls alder logs on the basis of 
carload lots. With this exception, the railroads of Oregon quote 
log rates on a weight basis, irrespective of log lengths. Table 10 
shows the log rates quoted between several Oregon points. 
LUMBER RATES 
Rates on alder lumber, generally quoted on a mileage basis, are 
established only as requests are made. Table 11 gives some of the 
established rates in Oregon and Washington. 
Table 9. — Bolt rates, or distance freight rates on alder logs not exceeding 8 feet 
in length, Washington, 1925 
Distance 
Rate per 
100 
pounds 
Distance 
Rate per 
100 
pounds 
Cents 
i 2 
13 
3H 
4 
4M 
Over 90 miles and not over 110 miles 
Over 110 miles and not over 140 miles 
Over 140 miles and not over 160 miles 
Over 160 miles and not over 180 miles 
Over 180 miles and not over 200 miles 
Cents 
5 
Over 5 miles and not over 30 miles 
Over 30 miles and not over 50 miles 
Over 50 miles and not over 70 miles 
Over 70 miles and not over 90 miles. 
5H 
6 
7 
Minimum charge of $15.50 per car. 
