20 AMERICAN LUMBER IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 



CENTRAL AMERICA. 

 BRITISH HONDURAS. 



NATIVE WOODS. 



It is difficult to suggest in what manner the lumber exports from the 

 United States to this colony may be increased, as nearly all the lumber 

 used for building purposes at present is American. The native woods 

 used in building houses and boats form but a very small item in the 

 total, because, until very recently, only one sawmill was in operation 

 here, and that was mainly used by the firm who own it for their own 

 private purposes. Two new sawmills have been erecfced in the past 

 two years, and they bid fair to compete with the United States for a 

 share of the lumber business, as there are undoubtedly many fine varie- 

 ties of woods suitable for all purposes to be found in the forests of this 

 colony. 



Of cabinet woods, besides the well-known mahogany and cedar, there 

 is an abundant supply, as will be seen from the inclosed list of woods, 

 which is by no means an exhaustive one. 



KINDS OF LUMBER USED. 



The kinds of wood principally imported are white and pitch pine 

 and cypress, all of which are used in house and boat building. 



IMPORT DUTIES AND PRICES. 



No lumber is imported from any other country than the United 

 States. 



A duty of $1 per 1,000 feet on rough and $1.50 on dressed lumber is 

 collected by the Government. 



Lumber in the rough sells here for $50 per 1,000 feet and dressed 

 lumber at $55 to $60. 





CLIMATE. 



The climate of this country is generally very healthy and although 

 yellow fever, cholera, and smallpox have, on one or two occasions, vis- 

 ited its shores, these diseases have never originated here, but were 

 always brought in, and were readily stamped out. The types of these 

 diseases, when they have existed here, seem to have been much milder 

 than in other countries, especially the first-named disease. Vaccination 

 is compulsory and hence but few of the inhabitants of towns died from 

 smallpox during its last visit in 1891, when it was brought here from 

 Peten, in Guatemala, the deaths being confined almost entirely to the 





