NOTES ON THE PARANA PINE OF SOUTPIERN BRAZIL 

 By Laurence Lee, B.A., M.F. 



With the war over and reconstruction going on in Europe, the 

 question of supply of material becomes more important as the demands 

 on the other side increase. Lumbermen of the United States have 

 long ago formed their plans and are pretty certain of their ability to 

 cope with the situation. However, as ships are released from transport 

 duty and arc turned into trade channels, competitors are likely to step 

 into the limelight from parts heretofore not regarded as very important. 



In the plateau region of southern Brazil are vast forests of a timber 

 tree known as Parana pine (Arancaria hrasiUcnsis). Some of the 

 largest tracts are located in the State of Parana ; hence the trade name. 

 Parana pine. According to figures. ". . . in Parana one company 

 claims ownership of connected forest tracts of Parana pine, a large 

 part of which is in primitive state, aggregating three billion feet and 

 averaging about 4.000 feet per acre. Assuming that the estimate of 

 an area of 260 million acres for the region is correct, divide this area 

 by two to make a liberal allowance for non-merchantable forests, clear- 

 ings, etc., there will remain 130 million acres covered with merchantable 

 forest. At 5.000 board feet per acre, this will give a total of (),50 

 billion feet. It is believed that this estimate is very conservative. At 

 any rate, for all practical purposes it is sufficiently accurate."^ 



This would seem to indicate a quantity worth reckoning, particularly 

 in view of the fact that Parana pine in the better grades can be used 

 for about the .same purposes as our southern yellow pine, and in the 

 poorer for the same purposes as our white pine. 



I have recently returned from an eight months' trip through Brazil 

 in connection with commercial investigations of a large New York 

 exporting house, and have seen some of the conditions of the present 

 commercial situation there. Since my return, there has come to my 

 rittcntion a prospectus gotten out by the largest lumber company of the 

 Parana pine region, and in translating it from the Portuguese, several 

 interesting features were noted. 



It should be kept in mind at the outset that the siatomciUs and 



iWhitfdrd, H. N. "Tropical Forests and the War." Ioi'rn.m. ok VorKstky. 

 Vol. XVI. p. .'Sl.'i. 



