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Available Foreign Hardwoods 



KIGHTII AUTICLE 



HARDWOODS OF CUBA 



Editor's Note 



Following is the eighth of a series of articles on foreign hardwoods available for use in this country. The 

 lirst covered hardwoods available in tlie Central American countries : the second covered hardwoods available in 

 South American countries ; the tliird hardwoods of Africa : the fourth hardwoods of Ceylon ; the firth hardwoods of 

 Burma and India ; the sixth hardwoods of Hawaii, and the sovonth covered hardwoods of Australia. 



Cuba is located about 130 miles south of the southern extremity of source of wealth to Cuba and after the transportation facilitiea are 

 the mainland of Florida. Its area is aiiproximately 43,000 square better developed, the extensive forests in the interior will be rendered 

 miles, or about the same size as the state of Penusylvania. Tlie accessible. There is no question that these woods are yery abundant 



m the mountainous regions and that many 

 other kinds will become valuable. Lumber 

 ing always has been one of the most im 

 portant industries in Cuba, and it will con- 

 tinue to be one of the chief assets. There 

 is still a good supply of malJOgany and cedar, 

 as well as other valuable woods, awaiting 

 better facilities for transportation to the 

 seaboard. The approximate ■. alue and kinds 

 of woods exported to the United States in 

 a prosperous year are as follows: 



Cedar $100,000 



Logwood 13."). 1100 



Mahogany 133.000 



I.ancewood 4.000 



Dagame l.i 00 



Cocus wood (Ebony) 500 



Alunqui .500 



Dyewood 1,000 



1 ii:num-vitae ?,. no 



Mahagua 1,000 



There are a number of other species ex 

 ported to this and other countries. Often 

 more than one kind are exploited and sold 

 under the same name. For instance, mahog 

 any denotes a class of woods which come not 

 only from the true kind 'Swietenia ma- 

 hagoni), but also from the cedar, sabicu and 



A CUBAN LANDSCAPE WITH AN EVEU-PRESENT CEIBA TREE TO THE LEFT 



uncleared and almost untouched forests of 



Cuba are no less than 15,000,000 acres in ex- 

 tent. It is here that the tropical species 

 meet those of the colder climates, with a con- 

 sequent result of a greater intermingling of 

 tree species than in any otiicr part of the 

 western hemisphere. The composition of the 

 I "uban forest presents many curious features 

 which have interested foresters and scientists 

 in general. The pine, which is a distinctly 

 temperate species, is found here growing side 

 by side with mahogan.y, a tropical species. 

 The possibilities of securing a number of 

 varieties of valuable woods within the com- 

 pass of a mile or two has attracted the lum- 

 berman of the United States. A number of 

 these are large trees yielding very beautiful, 

 hard, and heavy woods susceptible of a very 

 good polish. One lumberman who is operat- 

 ing in the Province of Oriente is planning 

 to cut 119 hardwood species for the market. 

 A number of these woods arc already known 

 to the American and English markets, while 

 the raa.jority of them are new or little-known. 

 ft is believed that a number of the latter 

 cla.ss will eventually be introduced into our markets for crossties. 



The exportation of Cuban timber has greatly increased during 

 recent years, and the total value of the annual shipments aggregates 

 about one and a quarter million dollars. The principal kinds included 

 are cedar, cocus, dagame, lanccwoods, liguum-vita?, logwood, mahogany, 

 palm and palm leaf, and mahagua. These woods have been a great 



—20— 



ROYAL PALMS ON THE BORDER OP A PINEAPPLE FIELD 



oeuje. There are several species entirely unrelated to one another 

 which are exported under the name of ebony; the same may be said of 

 cedar, lancewood, and lignum-vitte. While it is often undesirable to 

 substitute wo'ids not true to name, they can frequently be used with 

 equally good ^-esults. It is a well-known fact that a number of the 

 fancy liardwo)ods from the tropics are not true to name, but are 



