AMERICAN LUMBER IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 89 



TIENTSIN. 



NATIVE WOODS. 



There is really very little timber grown in the vicinity of Tientsin, or 

 in the Provinces of Chihli, Shantung or Shansi. A considerable 

 amount of elm, however, used here by the natives, for small repairs to 

 houses, junks, etc., comes from the country in the neighborhood of 

 Peking. 



So far as I can discover there are no uncommon varieties of wood in 

 the large section of China north of the Yellow River or Hwang-ho. 



For centuries there has been no recorded policy in China for the pro- 

 tection of forests. The result is that the country is almost barren of 

 timber, few trees escaping the woodman's axe sufficiently long to reach 

 maturity. 



Sometime ago the viceroy of the Province of Chihli, Li Hung Chang, 

 who resides at Tientsin, realizing the situation, which was forced upon 

 his notice by undertakings under his control requiring large and heavy 

 timber, offered a bonus to encourage villagers in the cultivation of 

 trees, but the few attempts that were made proved futile. 



China is, therefore, wholly dependent upon other countries for lum- 

 ber required in enterprises of any magnitude a fact worthy of atten- 

 tion. 



KINDS OF LUMBER USED. 



For wharves, jetties, and many works on the Imperial Railway of 

 Northern China, requiring lumber of considerable length and thick- 

 ness, Oregon pine has scarcely a competitor. Its only rival is the 

 cheaper and commoner pine from Korea, used where medium sized tim- 

 ber is needed. In railway construction in Northern China, to the dis- 

 cussion of which I shall devote a special paragraph, Oregon pine is 

 used for all temporary bridge structures, for roofing, and for building 

 freight cars. Teak is the wood employed at present in constructing 

 passenger cars. Two cargoes of Oregon lumber, by sailing vessels, were 

 bought by the Imperial Chinese Railway Company last year, and I 

 am informed that another cargo is soon to arrive. 



About eleven years ago Oregon pine was for the first time imported 

 direct from Victoria, British Columbia, and from Port Town send, but 

 previous to that time a considerable supply of this wood reached Tien- 

 tsin, via Shanghai and Hongkong. Even now it is so imported at inter- 

 vals. 



So far, then, as soft wood is concerned, we may safely assume that 

 Oregon pine is safe from rivalry. 



There is a large market here for hard wood, which market is 

 untouched except from. Vladivostock, Russia ; Sandakan, Borneo; 



