HARDWOOD RECORD 



19 



West Indies whieh are in use there, and inquire whether they supply 

 the people's wants or whether woods from the United States have 

 a chance to gain in that market. 



Probably as many kinds of trees grow in the West Indies as in 

 the United States. There is great variety of hardwoods, but prac- 

 tically no softwoods, except two or three pines and ceda.rs which 

 are no match for similar trees of the United States. It may be 

 stated, once for all, that so far as the people of the West Indies 

 must have softwoods, like pine, fir, and spruce, they must be brought 

 from other countries — which means the United States, though 

 northern Europe may not be wholly out of the market. Softwoods 

 have a foothold, and their chief problem consists in retaining what 

 they have and increasing it. 



It is far different with hardwoods sent from the United States 

 to the West Indies. They meet numerous rivals, some of which 

 are not forceful, but others are firmly entrenched in the markets 

 and they will not be easily dislodged. The names of a few of these 

 woods follow. The exporter of hardwoods to the West Indies will 

 be apt to make the acquaintance of one or more of them in every 

 market he enters, and the amount of business he wOl be able to do 

 will depend upon his ability to crowd them out or to find buyers 

 outside the native woods' list of users. 



Ebony or poui (Teeuma seiratifolia) is abundant in Trinidad, and is 

 of both green and gray v.arieties. It may be had in logs tiiirty feet long 

 and two or tiiree feet in diameter. 



Princewood or cyp {Voidia geracanthus) is one of the best woods in 

 Jamaica for turnery. It is likewise made into shingles, and is of the 

 same weight as wbite oak. 



Yokewood iCatalpa longissima) is nearly twice as heavy as black wal- 

 nut but in appearance resembles it, and is sawed into boards. 



Manchineel <,Hippomane manchinella) looks like hard, maple and is of 

 about the same weight. It is made into furniture. The juice of the 

 green tree is poisonous. 



Olivier (Bucida buceras) is said to solve the problem of the fireproof 

 shingle. It is claimed that the wood will not blaze. 



Angelin coco (Audira stipulacea) is sometimes known as partridge 

 wood, useful for canes and umbrella handles. 



Waterwood (Chiiiarrhis cymosii) is used for cabinet work in St. V'n- 

 cent. 



Jiqui Comun IBurnelia nigra) is one of the hardest woods in the world. 

 When freshly cut it is of the color of rosewood, but turns black with 

 age. It is used tor railroad ties, piling, and posts. 



Mahogany is too well known to need a description. 



Spanish cedar (Cedrelia odorata) is employed for cigar boxes in this 

 country, but for furniture and building in the West Indies, where logs 

 are cut twenty-eight feet long and two in diameter. It is not a soft- 

 wood, like the cedars of the United States, but has broad leaves, which 

 look somewhat like those of black walnut. 



Blue mahoe (Hibiscus elatus) looks like asli, and is made into car- 

 riages and boats. 



Lignum-vitce iGuaiacum officinale) weighs nearly twice as much as 

 white oak, and is exceedingly hard. 



Satinwood (Xanihoxylnm avuin) is found in the Bahamas. 



Hackia (Ixora ferrea) weighs fifty-nine pounds per cubic foot, and 

 grows in different parts of the West Indies. It is almost unbreakable, 

 and is suitable for vehicles, canes, cogs, and fishing rods. It may be 

 had in logs sixteen inches square and sixty-five feet long. 



Bulletwood {Mimusops globosa) is a house-building wood, though nearly 

 as hard as ebony. 



West India boxwood (Tabebuia pcntaphyUa) is often called white cedar 

 on its native islands, where logs are cut twelve inches in diameter. It is 

 made into rulers and small handles. 



Fiddlewood (Citharcxi/llum melanocardium) is used by carpenters and 

 wheelwrights in the Barbados. 



Santa maria or galaba (CaJophijUuni calaba) resembles Spanish cedar 

 and in Trinidad is used for the same purposes. 



Sabicu (Acacia formosa) resembles mahogany and in Cuba is employed 

 In boat building. It is not suitable for structural timbers, because of 

 concealed cross breaks which develop in the growing tree. 



Lancewood (Qnatteria virgata) is very desirable for fishing rods and 

 vehicles. 



Degame (CalycophyUum candidissimum) is a cabinet wood in Cuba. 



Quiebra hacha (Copaifera humenafoUa) is very heavy, and boat build- 

 ers make deck beams of it, and it is likewise made into frames for heavy 

 machinery. Cuba railroads lay it for ties. 



The foregoing are the principal commercial woods of the West 

 Indies, but more than ten times as many are found in those islands. 

 Lumber Exports to West Indies 



It is impracticable to give the lumber exports to the smaller 

 West India islands separately, but with the more important islands, 

 like Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad, this can be done. Most 



of the smaller ones are reported by group according to ownership, 

 as British, French, and Dutch. With this explanation, the following 

 tables of ex-ports of forest products annually from the United States 

 to the West Indies will be understood. 



WHITE PIXE 



Country Feet Value 



Cuba 1,629,000 .? 6S,S5;i 



Haiti 847,000 29,931 



Santo Domingo 557,000 20,434 



French West Indies 294,000 ,S,933 



Trinidad and Tobasco 260,000 .8,63S 



.Jamaica 254.000 8,854 



Dutch West Indies 185.000 6,315 



Danish West Indies 130.000 4,099 



Other British 32,000 1.115 



Barbados 9,000 316 



Total white pine 4,203,000 §157,480 



LONGLEAP PINE 



Jlost of the yellow pine which goes to the West Indies is longleaf, 

 though others go also. The table which follows gives the exports 

 of this pine to the West Indies in 1913: 



Country Feet Value 



Cuba 58,364,000 .$1,011,660 



Jamaica 11,348,000 228,120 



Trinidad and Tobasco 5,650,000 119.010 



Haiti 5,231,000 129,019 



Santo Domingo 5,062,000 132,820 



French West Indies 3,899,000 89.658 



Other British 2,546,000 55.569 



Danish West Indies 1.192,000 27.026 



Barbados i 1,046.000 22.172 



Dutch West Indies 208.000 4,655 



Total .vellow pine 94,546,000 51,819,715 



SHORTLEAF PINE 



Under this head is included the common shortleaf pine (Pinus 

 cchinala) and likewise some loblolly (Finus taeda). The figures are 

 shown below. 



Country Feet Value 



Cuba 547,000 S 8,921 



Santo Domingo 249,000 8,932 



British West Indies 41,000 1,246 



Haiti 41,000 1.586 



Dutch West Indies 30,000 1,037 



Trinidad and Tobasco 19,000 612 



Danish West Indies 9.000 376 



French West ludies 7,000 343 



Total 943,000 ?23,053 



OTHER YELLOW PINE 



In making shipments of yellow pine to the West Indies, the pre- 

 cise species is frequently not stated. In that case it is listed simply 

 as yellow pine, and in statistics of exports it is called "other 

 yellow pine, ' ' and the figures for 1913 follow. 



Country Feet Value 



Cuba 76,717,000 $1,455,620 



Jamaica 2,389,000 51.292 



Santo Domingo 1,193,000 33,057 



Other British 1,039,000 21,146 



Trinidad and Tobasco 529,000 10,580 



French West Indies 354,000 6,965 



Haiti 217,000 6,721 



Barbados 74,000 1,493 



Total 82,512,000 $1,586,874 



SPRUCE 



No spruce from the Pacific coast found its way to the West ludies 

 in 1913 ; but it is probable that the opening of the Panama canal 

 will bring the Sitka spruce of Washington into the West Indies 

 markets. Most of that represented in the following table was the 

 red spruce of West Virginia and northeastward, but doubtless there 

 was some black spruce from Maine. 



Country Feet Value 



Santo Domingo 43,000 $1,313,000 



French West Indies 29.000 895,000 



Haiti 16,000 695,000 



Dutch West Indies 10.000 447.000 



Other British 6,000 110,000 



Jamaica 1.000 35.000 



Total 105,000 $.3,465,000 



I 



