PERIODICAL LITERATURE 



FOREST GEOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION 



McGinnis states that with the possible excep- 



Forests of Brazil tion of the Congo and the Cameroon in Equa- 

 and Paraguay torial Africa the tropical hardwood forests of 

 Brazil are the most extensive in the world ; while 

 48 per cent of the land surface of Brazil is forested, much of this 

 has little value for hmiber. Brazil is credited with ]!)7 million acres 

 of so-called "pine," but in reality Arancaria, largely high grade, said 

 to average a higher grade than the best of the white pine stands of the 

 United States ever yielded. The lumber is said to resemble closely 

 white pine, except it is heavier. Brazil's hardwood forests may be 

 divided into three main areas : Amazon basin. Atlantic slope, and 

 Southern or east of the Parana River. The Amazonian forest runs 

 approximately 70 per cent forested and 30 per cent campo or brush 

 lands. The Atlantic slope area contains some of the most beautiful 

 and valuable cabinet and veneer woods in the world. The third division 

 is at a higher elevation, the climate healthful ; exploitation is going on 

 here. 250 miles of railroad having been built, and many sawmills estab- 

 lished. Wasteful methods of logging as well as in clearing of land 

 for farming prevail. Forest fires are almost unknown, though in 

 seasons of verv unusual drouth fires have been known to run through 

 the forest for 100 miles. Vines and small undergrowth are scorched 

 but the forest in general is hardly injured. The valuable woods do 

 not occur in pure stands but are much scattered, nor do the individual 

 trees attain any great height, the boles usually are crooked and with 

 not over one or at most two 10 to 14 foot logs. Few of the valuable 

 species or Brazil or Paraguay are not "sinkers." the cedro being the 

 exception, and is thus used as a "floater" for other species. No ex- 

 tensive exploitation of the tropical forests will come until there are 

 systems of logging railroads built. J. D. G. 



McGinnis, D. R. Tropica! Forests of Brazil and Paraguay. Timberman, Jan., 

 1921. 



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