^C^&l^^5^il-l&^J50i>^^^;i^^ 



t;i:;>:^32tfJ^g>;;:::;x>iCJti:?^TO 



Available Foreign Hardwoods 



THIRD ARTICLE 



AFRICAN HARDWOODS 



Editor's Note 

 is the tbird of a series of articles on foreigu liardwoods available tor use in this country. The first 



the second covered hardwoods "available In 



Followin., 

 article covered hardwoods available in the Central American countries . 

 South American countries and the fourth will cover hardwoods o£ Ceylon 



A great part of Africa's wealth is derived from its timber re- 

 sources. This natural production has, for a number of years, con- 

 tributed to the wants and necessities of European countries in 

 which the forest resources are insufScient to supply the demand 

 for fuel and industrial purposes. This is true particularly with 

 respect to the hardwoods used for furniture and interior finish. 

 While millions of feet of structural timbers from the United 

 states and northern Europe are shipped into Africa annually, a 

 still greater bulk of fancy woods are extracted from the tropical 

 forests of east and west Africa and shipped to England, France, 

 and Germany, where these timbers are re-distributed and shipped 

 to other points in Europe and the United States. The poet, 

 Cowper, once said that "each climate needs what other climes 

 produce." Though the forest products of the United States are 

 vast and extensive in themselves, Africa as well as other tropical 

 and sub-tropical countries fur- 

 nish us directly with many of 

 our most valuable and indis- 

 pensable timbers of commerce. 



In this age of research and 

 enterprise much has been said 

 upon utilizing and economiz- 

 ing forest products which have 

 hitherto been considered as 

 waste. This study has been 

 thoroughly made by a number 

 of men and has been brought 

 prominently before the notice 

 of those who have capital to 

 test their worth. The closer 

 the utilization of our own for- 

 est resources the less we will 

 have to depend upon the re- 

 sources of foreign countries. 

 The industrial application of 

 wood of all kinds is rapidly 

 increasing, however, and the 

 demand for foreign woods is 

 very likely to increase very 



materially during the next few years. A number of large im- 

 porters have already turned their attention to West Africa for 

 certain classes of timbers, principally mahogany and ebony-like 

 woods, with which the forests abound. Much has been done in 

 the line of geographical exploration, the results of which have 

 been very advantageous, for they are the only means whereby 

 a knowledge of the forest resources of these more or less obscure 

 West African colonies can be obtained, and the extent and kinds of 

 timber trees suitable for exploitation be determined. But even 

 now much lies hidden from our knowledge, which is more or less 

 the case in all tropical countries. Germany was one of the first 

 of the countries to recognize the importance of investigating the 

 forest resources of both East and West Africa. The forest con- 

 ditions of Togo and Kamerun have been carefully investigated, 

 and it has been found that much of the surface is covered by 

 dense forests in which there is a great variety of different woods. 

 About 600 species are found here, but there are no extensive 

 forests in which any one kind of timber predominates. Lumber- 

 ing operations with the aim of gathering any one variety cannot 

 be carried on with any degree of economy. The same can be said 

 of the French, English, and Portuguese provinces in West Africa. 



Little is known of the interior of the Belgian and French Congo. 

 A number of adventurous travelers have crossed these dense in- 



TYI'ICAL GROWTH OF INCENSE TREES OX A DRY ROCKY RIDGE 

 OF WEST AFRICA. 



terior forests, and about all that is known now is that forests exist 

 and that it is almost impossible to traverse them. The forests 

 of German East and German Southeast Africa have been mapped, 

 and while the composition is not well known the density of these 

 forests is much less than those in West Africa. 



The English have attempted to make a survey of the forests in 

 the African colonies, and some of the best timbers are now ex- 

 ploited and shipped from the ports of West Africa. There is 

 very little available timber in South Africa and in British East 

 Africa. While there are forests in the Soudan they are prac- 

 tically inaccessible. Northern Africa can be neglected from the 

 discussion, for the reason that there is very little available timber 

 and large quantities are imported from northern Europe. The 

 cork oak is, perhaps, the most important tree in northern Africa, 

 but its value does not lie so much in the timber it produces as in the 



cork it yields. 



In looking over the long list 

 of really good woods from West 

 Africa, one is led to believe 

 that many of them will become 

 of great commercial importance; 

 indeed, many of them are al- 

 ready known. The west coast 

 of Africa will be the only 

 producing region for many 

 years to come, because of the 

 diflSculty of opening a free com- 

 munication with the interior 

 of Africa. The difaculty of 

 obtaining suitable labor, which 

 is so great a drawback in 

 many countries, as well as the 

 great expense of transportation, 

 all militate strongly against 

 the prospect of the interior of 

 Africa being opened at pres- 

 ent for its timber resources. 



The bulk of the forested land 

 in many parts of West Africa 

 belongs to the native chiefs, but term grants, or leases, are fre- 

 quently taken out by white men with the consent of these chiefs. 

 The leases cover anywhere from 10 to 400 square miles and allow 

 the cutting of any timber the lessee may desire, with the excep- 

 tion of ebony and of mahogany under twelve feet in circumfer- 

 ence. Both of these names are comprehensive terms and there are 

 no less than ten or fifteen different species of trees now cut as 

 mahogany and about six are said to produce ebony. There are 

 only from one to two merchantable trees to the acre in many lo- 

 calities, which makes the building of a tram road uneconomical. 

 In addition to allowing no small mahogany to be cut, the law 

 in some colonies provides that twenty seedlings shall be planted 

 for every tree felled. _ This is a provision which is seldom ad- 

 hered to. 



The hardwoods of West Africa form the great bulk of the forests 

 and among these the heavier sorts are most common. About one- 

 half of the available timber is regarded as of distinct industrial 

 value. The exact value of many apparently good timbers cannot 

 be definitely determined until the timber has been tested more 

 fully. In order to make lumbering operations profitable the 

 timber should be sawed into lumber in the forest and shipped to 

 market in this shape, because this will save a good deal of labor 

 and expense in transportation. 



—29— 



