84 AMERICAN LUMBER IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 



The shipbuilding of India is practically of no moment. In railroad 

 building, there were opened to traffic last year 395J miles of line. The 

 total railway mileage of India is 20,272 . The officials of the Indian 

 railways endeavor, wherever possible, to use iron for crossties and for 

 construction purposes, on account of the ravages of the insects. 

 Various creosoted and otherwise prepared woods have been tried, but 

 have not given much satisfaction. 



EXTENSION OF LUMBER TRADE. 



On account of the high freight rates, it does not pay to move lumber 

 about much in India, and it does not appear probable that much Amer- 

 ican lumber could be used in the interior. A small quantity can be and 

 is used in the seaboard cities, but the quantity could not, I think, be 

 very greatly increased. One or two shipments of Oregon pine have 

 been made to Calcutta, but a small amount gluts the market, and it 

 requires a considerable time to work it off. Iron beams are to some 

 extent supplanting even the native teak. There are some thirty regis- 

 tered stock companies, and a few individuals, running sawmills in India. 

 The value of their output is estimated at 12,031, 111 rupees ($2,656,765). 

 To this must be added about the same quantity of lumber got out by 

 hand. The mills employ about 10,000 persons. 



VAN I/RER POLK, 



Consul- General. 



CALCUTTA, March 7, 1804. 



CHINA. 

 AMOY. 



NATIVE WOODS. 



The native woods are nearly the same as in the United States, and 

 include pine, oak, cedar, cherry, chestnut, ash, whitewood, and locust. 

 Native woods well known in the United States are bamboo, teak, ebony, 

 ironwood, boxwood, and camphor wood. 



KINDS OF LUMBER USED. 



Pine is the favorite lumber, especially in the form of " Foochow poles," 

 which are long trunks, stripped of bark and branches. Almost equally 

 popular is the bamboo. Teak is used, wherever the expense will allow, 

 in house and naval construction, on account of its resistance to decay, 

 to white ants, and to boring insects. 



