AMERICAN LUMBER IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 15 



MEXICO. 



LA PAZ. 



NATIVE WOODS. 



Lower California, being divested of natural forests of pine and other 

 timber, such as could be made useful for mining, shipbuilding, the 

 manufacture of household articles, and for house material, is entirely 

 dependent upon the Pacific ports and markets of the United States for 

 applies. 



The native woods, existing in some of the valleys of the peninsula, 

 are of no importance and can not be made available for any building 

 purposes. The soil and climate are not adapted to timber-growing. 

 This, together with the scarcity of rains and the lack of running 

 streams, precludes it from ever becoming a timber country. 



Boxwood, vainoro, sorrillo, yellowwood, Brazil or dyewoods of sev- 

 eral kinds, ironwood, palo bianco, torote, and several others, found 

 chiefly in the valleys, form the nucleus of the principal woods of the 

 country. Some have fine grain, capable of high polish, but the trees 

 are too small in size for the timber to be of any utility. Nevertheless 

 the high range of mountains, running through the middle of the coun- 

 try, is more wooded than the lowlands. Palm trees of majestic heights, 

 oak, pine, and fir, as well as the Hueribo, a gigantic tree and a species 

 of cedar, can be seen in the gulches and crests of the mountains, which 

 offer so many difficulties as to be out of reach for all practical purposes. 



IMPORTS OF LUMBER. 



The imports of lumber are exclusively from Oregon, Washington, 

 and California. Eedwood, pine, and white cedar are the kinds imported 

 and preferred. About 2,000,000 feet of lumber are required to meet the 

 rearly consumption. 



PRICES. 



The following are the wholesale and retail prices per foot of lumber: 



Cents. 



Ordinary lumber of different dimensions 4 to 54 



Planed of different dimensions 5 and 6 



Pine flooring of different dimensions 6 and 7 



White cedar of different dimensions 10 and 12 



DUTY. 



The import duty on pine lumber is as follows: Pine flooring, $1 for 

 100 square meters ; white planed cedar, 2 cents per kilogram j all others, 

 common redwood and pine lumber, are on the free list. 





