HARDWOOD RECORD 



19 



Brazil 



The area of Brazil surpasses that of any other South American 

 country, and includes about, forty per cent of the continent. Its 

 borders touch those of all other countries there except Chile. Its 

 population is nearly twice that of any other South American repub- 

 lic. It is easy to remember that Brazil and the United States are 

 approximately of the same size, and that in population Brazil does 

 not exceed one-fourth that of the United States. Comparison with 

 tliis country might be carried much farther, but dissimilar con- 

 ditions are more numerous than are those which are alike. The 

 population and development of Brazil are found almost wholly in the 

 coast region, while the interior is thinly settled, or not settled at 

 all, and large parts of it are unexplored. The extreme length of the 

 country is about 4,000 miles, and it is nearly as wide. While there 

 are elevated regions and mountain ranges in various parts of the 

 vast domain, most of the country is flat, and is covered with jungles 

 and swamps. 



The Amazon, the largest river in the rtorlil, floivs chiefly in Brazil. 

 Its tributaries are numbered by hundreds, many of which are navi- 

 gable. Steamers ascend the Amazon and some of its tributaries 

 thousands of miles; but on some of the large streams navigation is 

 interrupted by falls and rapids. There are said to bo 40,000 miles 

 of navigation on the rivers of Brazil; but on many of the large 

 streams few steamers ply, because there is no trade in the great un- 

 developed interior. The Amazon near its mouth is 1,500 feet deep 

 and 180 miles wide. 



The dealers in forest products from the United States have little 

 market in those regions now. The future only can tell whether there 

 will ever be a demand there for our lumber, furniture, and other 

 similar products; but, at best, no immediate market in the interior 

 of Brazil should be expected. Settlement will be slow in those hot, 

 tropical regions. During the four hundred years since the first 

 Europeans landed in Brazil, attempts to colonize the vast jungles 

 back from the coast have nearly always proved in vain. Much of 

 the land is extremely fertile, but human industry and endurance 

 have not been equal to the task of subduing the tropical growth. Man 

 is able to get little help from fire in that rainy region. The trees 

 and the jungles may be cut down, but the slashings are nearly always 

 too wet to burn. In the United States fire was the settler's most 

 powerful ally in subduing the forest. In fact, it has been too power- 

 ful for the forest's good. But in much of the interior of Brazil the 

 man who clears land must do it without much help from fire, and do 

 it in jungles and thickets surpassing anything known in the United 

 States. That difficulty is increased by the new growth which springs 

 up immediately after the old is cut, and grows so luxuriantly that 

 clearings relapse speedily into forest in spite of all the settler can do. 



These facts would be of no business interest to the prospective 

 lumber exporter in the United States, were it not that he should con- 

 sider conditions when he plans his business campaign in a distant 

 country. If he should judge Brazil by its size alone, he might greatly 

 overestimate the opportunity to sell lumber, furniture, and vehicles 

 there. 



Native Competition 



There is a considerable market for these articles in Brazil, but the 

 market is confined principally to the coast cities and the country 

 immediately back of them, and in settlements near the mouths of 

 large rivers. Competition from native woods is keen, except in soft- 

 woods. Yellow pine from the United States has a pretty clear field, 

 because Brazil has no similar wood that can compare with it. Yel- 

 low pine's rivals in that market operate from Canada and Sweden. 

 Both of these countries are weak competitors, and ia the aggregate 

 they do not send one-seventh as much pine to Brazil as is sent by 

 the United States. 



The ease is different with hardwoods. Brazil is strong in that 

 resource. No man knows how much timber that country's enormous 

 forests contain. Even botanists have not yet completed the listing 

 and classification of the species. There are great numbers of trees 

 in tlie explored regions which yet have no names; and the imagina- 

 tion only can picture what the unexplored areas may contain. There 

 is no risk of exaggeration if the statement is made that the forests 



of Brazil constitute the largest body of virgin timber in the world. 

 The ' ' dark forest ' ' which Stanley found in Africa is small in com- 

 parison. 



However, the impression is received by reading the books of trav- 

 elers through the wilds of Brazil that the forests are enormous in 

 area and the number of kinds of trees, rather than particularly 

 valuable in the actual size of the trunks and the physical characters 

 of the wood. James Bryee's summary warrants that conclusion. He 

 did not do much exploring himself, but his book shows that he studied 

 the subject carefully. The popular Ulusion seems about to be shat- 

 tered that the timber of Brazil is of enormous size. The average 

 height of the trees is under 100 feet, though a person constantly 

 "hears of" forests 200 feet high. 



Following are a few of the woods of Brazil, which not only com- 

 pete with American forest products exported to that country, but 

 some of them have been imported into the United States and Europe 

 and are on the market: 



Blue ni.nhoe (Hibiscus elatus) resembles ash in appearance and physical 

 properties. 



Toon (Cedrela toona) Is In the class with Spanish cedar of which 

 cigar boxes are made. Trees are of large size and the lumber goes to 

 door and furniture factories. 



Crabwood (Carapa giiianensis) is nearly as heavy as white oalt, and 

 may be had in logs up to sixty feet in length. It is used for house 

 frames. 



Umiri (Humiria florihunda) is one of the largest, heaviest woods of 

 Brazil. It weighs seventy-four pounds per cubic foot, and sinlss in water 

 like a stone. The wood is light red and is used for wagon spokes and 

 house frames. 



Queenwood (Pipdadenia riijida) is very Iieavy and resembles boxwood. 

 Small articles of furniture are made of it. 



Purpleheart (Copaifera bracteata) Is of large size, very strong, resists 

 shocks, and is a structural timber. It is about fifteen per cent heavier 

 than white oak. 



Partridge wood (Andiia crcelsa) is very dark brown, and resembles 

 ebony. It is a cabinet wood, hard and heavy. Perfectly seasoned lum- 

 ber weighs over seven pounds per board foot. 



Bllgewater wood {.Indira inermis) compares in weight, appearance, 

 .ind strength with birch, and carpenters and shipbuilders use it. 



Courbrall (Hymerura courbaril). This wood weighs fifty-seven pounds 

 per cubic foot and bears considerable resemblance to locust. 



Monkey pot (Leci/this grandiflora) Is nearly as heavy as ebony, as 

 hard as boxwood, light red in color, can be had In large sizes, and Is 

 made Into furniture and barrel staves. 



Bullctwood (Mitnusops globosa) is related to the sapodilla tree of 

 Florida. It is hard, heavy, of a deep red color, and is valuable as house 

 finish. 



West Indian boxwood (Tabebuia pentaphylla) is of light yellow color, 

 and logs above one foot in diameter are scarce. 



Brazilian or araucarian pine (Araucaria brasiliana) is closely related 

 to If not identical with the pine of this name described in a preceding 

 article under Chile. 



Laurel (Nectandra sp.) is dark in color, strong, and hard, .lud is used 

 by carpenters. 



Imports from the United States 



Brazil's imports of lumber from the United States in 1913 are 

 shown in the following table: 



KiXD Keet B. .At. Value 



Longleaf pine 66,353,000 ?1, 437,850 



White pine 1,785,000 64,927 



Square pine timber 853,000 18,755 



Shortleaf pine 599,000 24,004 



Oak 317,000 13,013 



Yellow poplar 15,000 1,325 



Other yellow pine 608,000 19,504 



All other boards 146,000 3,498 



Total 70,676,000 $1,582,876 



The imports shown in the foregoing table are rough lumber. Most 

 of the yellow pine is in large pieces, usually three inches thick and 

 nine inches wide. There appears to be no definite information in 

 this country as to what is done with this heavy stuff, but it is 

 supposed that much of it is further manufactured after it reaches 

 Brazil. 



Other articles made partly or wholly of wood and shipped last 

 year from the United States to Brazil are listed below: 



.\RTicLES Value 



Horse vebicles $316,562 



Furniture 112,274 



Wheelbarrows 85,521 



