HARDWOOD RECORD 



31 



usual log deck. A GG-iuch circular saw is on one side, and a 60-incli 

 frame on the other. In place of an edger a 60-inch rack feed table 

 saw is used. The mill is designed mainly for cutting timbers up 

 to thirty-five feet, and fletches for the English market. Another 

 40-ineh table saw will be used for cutting lime (fruit) barrel 

 staves, for which there is a great demand, Dominica exporting last 

 year about 30,000 barrels of green limes to New York. The entire 

 mill machinery is English and the power is supplied by a suction 

 gas engine and generator made by the National Gas Engine Com- 

 pany of England. Only one engine of eighty-five horsepower was 

 installed, but it has not proven to be satisfactory. The generator is 

 driven by gas made from charcoal. A steam engine and boiler have 

 been ordered to replace the experimental suction gas engine. 



The filing room and machine shop are run by a fifteen horse- 

 power steam engine. The machine shop is quite complete, con- 

 sisting of a lathe, planers, drill press, hack-saw, an emery wheel 

 and a grind stone. A fine supply of very good boiler water comes 

 throiigh half a mile of pipe line under 100 feet head, supplying 

 the mill, as well as the houses of the employes. 



The uneven character of the country necessitated careful loca- 

 tion for the railroad. Therefore it was decided to follow the course 

 of the Indian river as far as possible. The river rises as it nears 

 its source until after about six miles its fall is one foot in three. 

 Timber cutting can go on for about two years before a geared 

 locomotive will become absolutely necessary. At present a direct 

 connected locomotive is being used on six and one-half per cent 

 grades (curves compensated .05 per cent per degree of curvature). 

 Due to the great amount of rainfall, which varies from 150 to 

 250 inches according to altitude, ample and careful attention had 

 to be paid to waterways. 



The logging presented a very difficult problem, but finally a 

 very satisfactory system was presented by the Lidgerwood Manu- 

 facturing Company of New York. Many of the hillsides are of 

 clay and so steep that landslides occur quite frequently. Animals, 

 either oxen, mules or horses, were out of the question because of 

 the wet hillsides. The return line, to bring back the pulling line of 

 the logging engine, solved the difiiculty. The capacity of the ma- 

 chine is nothing remarkable when compared with similar logging 

 machines in the United States, but the cost per M is remarkably 

 low, because the average wage per man is less than fifty cents a 

 day. The simplicity of the working of the machine is one of its 

 valuable points for foreign work — even the ignorant West Indian 

 darkey can easily learn its working, and produce satisfactory 

 results. 



The common labor employed has been the West Indian negro at 

 the rate of thirty-six cents per day — and that is well paid. These 

 people live in the usual tropical huts and on the cheap native 

 vegetables. 



A most unusual system of housing prevails. Each man usually 

 owns his 10x12 feet shack, palm thatched, and rents the ground 

 whereon to rest it. Whenever a change of location of work occurs, 

 there is great rejoicing among the shack owner's friends. A few 

 gallons of rum, a long rope, some poles to slide the house on, and 

 friends are the only requisites for moving the shack, which goes on 

 amid shouts and songs. Many times as much as half a mile is 

 covered in a day, but as the distance to which the shack is being 

 moved is never very far, half a day usually brings it to its new 

 resting place. 



Many varieties of wood are found in Dominica which undoubt- 

 edly possess a high economic value. Some are of a very fine color 

 and texture and would doubtless prove of great value to cabinet 

 makers. As a rule, however, they must first enter and remain on 

 the market as construction woods until their value is proven and 

 market made. The uses of some of the woods, as well as a few 

 qualities, are, given in this connection. 



Gommier (Dacryodes heivandra). This is probably the largest, 

 loftiest and commonest tree on the island. A resin exudes copi- 

 ously which is inflammable and has a delightful odor. The wood 

 takes a good polish and has a fine texture. It is used for furniture 

 and general construction. There are two kinds — the red and the 



w-hite. The red gommier has a fine pink color. When green, the 

 wood weighs about sixty-two pounds per cubic foot. 



Bois Diable (Licaina Lypolenca). This is a very hard, tough 

 and heavy wood. It is useful in house building and inside structural 

 work. It has no value as a cabinet nor veneer wood. Wlien dry it 

 lasts well, but will not stand moisture. 



Carapite. This ,is a heavy, hard, structural wood, lasting well 

 for outdoor work and in water. It is no good for either cabinet 

 or veneer wood. 



Moricypre (Byrsonima siricta). This is a construction wood which 

 is light when dry. It has been used in cabinet work to a small 

 extent. The bark contains tannin, which is used for all local 

 tanning. 



Balata (Bumelia rctiisa). This is a heavy, hard, tough and 

 strong wood, and is used wherever strength is needed, as ax han- 

 dles, millwork, rollers, beams, balance wheels, cogs, etc. When 

 exposed to the weather, it turns to a dark brown color. 



Caeonier (Ormosia dasycarim). This is a very useful wood for 

 all purposes, either inside or out. It makes shingles almost equal 

 in durability to the walaba of South America. It slightly resem- 

 bles satinwood and is used for furniture. 



Mahoe-coohou (Sterculia caribwu). This is a very common, quick- 

 growing tree. Its wood is rather pretty and takes a fine finish. 

 When thoroughly dry, it becomes extremely light. It is used for 

 staves and boards. 



There are numerous other woods df all kinds, but they occur in 

 lesser quantities. Over two hundred varieties have been found in 

 a search, which has not been made too carefuHv. H. C. Kluge. 



Slack Cooperage Stock 



Figures compiled by the Forest Service covering the slack cooper- 

 ago business in 1910 demonstrate that there was a falling off in 

 trade during the year and also a decrease from 1908 to 1909. The 

 cause is assigned to the increased use of veneer barrels in place of 

 slack barrels. 



The table showing the number and kind of staves and headings 

 produced during 1910 establishes a total during the year of 1,460,- 

 870,000 for staves and 97,037,000 for headings. Eed gum was vastly 

 in the lead in stave production, and ranked fifth in the production 

 of heading, pine being the leading wood used. It was impossible to 

 arrive at accurate conclusions as to the original amount of raw 

 material from which the staves or headings are worked, but it is 

 generally conceded that the manufacture of cooperage stock entails 

 a far greater waste than that of any other forest product. Allowing 

 for this waste, it is estimated that the slack cooperage trade in 1910 

 consumed 2,310,732,000 board feet of lumber. However, as large 

 quantities of such grades and dimensions of lumber as would be 

 entirely ignored for other purposes, are consumed in the manufac- 

 ture of slack staves and headings, the actual drain upon the forest 

 resources is not as great as it appears. 



The four principal woods used in the manufacture of slack staves 

 during 1910 and three preceding years, were red gum, pine, beech 

 and elm, while the four leading woods from which headings were 

 manufactured were pine, beech, maple and red gum, which woods 

 furnished sixty-one and three-tenths per cent of all the headings 

 produced during 1910. Nearly ninety-six per cent of the sawed hoops 

 produced in 1910 were made of elm. So far there has been no satis- 

 factory substitute for elm found among the cheaper woods. 



The Forest Service bulletin, in treating of the slack cooperage pro- 

 duction, states that in 1910, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Arkan- 

 sas and Michigan were the principal stave producing states in the 

 country, and furnished sixty-one and seven-tenths per cent of the 

 total. About eighty-eight per cent of the chestnut staves were 

 produced in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Michigan manufactured 

 nearly three times as much heading as any other state, and with 

 Pennsylvania, Virginia and Missouri supplied forty-six per cent of 

 the total production. The principal centers of sawed hoop industry 

 were in Ohio, Michigan, Missouri and Indiana. 



