THE DEPLETION MYTH. A HISTORY OF RAILROAD USE OF TIMBER

This book is not a study of the depletion myth, i.e., the danger of the exhaustion of our timber supply, but rather is, as its subtitle suggests, a history of the use by the railroads in their heyday of one fifth of the timber production of the country. The author finds that no scarcity existed at any time, so far as railroad needs were concerned, nor indeed did the fear of famine affect price. Short life of the crossties led to experiments with various trees and after the First World War to experiments with chemicals, particularly creosote, to retard deterioration in the ties. These developments are traced in detail. This combination of familiarity with technical engineering details and a sophisticated economic presentation makes the study an outstanding success.

  • Corporate Authors:

    Harvard University Press

    79 Garden Street
    Cambridge, MA  United States  02138
  • Authors:
    • Olson, S H
  • Publication Date: 1971

Media Info

  • Pagination: 228 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00046410
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Journal of Economic Literature
  • Report/Paper Numbers: Book
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Sep 18 1974 12:00AM