Canadian Forestry Journal, June, 1919 



265 



and deformed by the violent winds that blow for 

 the greater part of the year, but higher up in 

 the more peaceful sohtudes of the mountains to 

 the north, and along the shores of the Patagon- 

 ian Lakes, timber reaches a splendid develop- 

 ment, and heavy stands are met with. These 

 forests are of Antarctic beech and a few coni- 

 fers, and it is estimated that three species of the 

 beech would probably furnish 90 per cent of the 

 cut. Average stands are between 10,000 and 

 20,000 feet per acre, exclusive of defects. 



Unfortunately, many of the forests are over- 

 mature and so defective as to be of little com- 

 mercial value. The trees reach heights of 100 

 to 125 feet, and a diameter of between 2 feet 

 and 5 feet. No reliable computation has ever 

 been made of the timber in this part of South 

 America, and the extension along the Andes 

 region, drew on the forests for fuel and con- 

 struction timber, and, no new growths having 

 been promoted, only second growth, or scattered 

 patches, remain. It has been found that these 

 Highland people even worked down to the edges 

 of the rain forests of the great Amazonian plain. 



The third, or swamp, category forest can, 

 again be subdivided into two classes: (a) The 

 tropical forests occupying the salt-water swamps 

 at the mouths of the great rivers; and (b) the 

 forests of the fresh-water swamp and bottom 

 lands. The tidal forests are typical mangrove 

 areas, such as are to be found in other parts of 

 the world, rather restricted in area and prac- 

 tically destroyed. The fresh-water swamps oc- 

 cupy great areas, and may undoubtedly, one 

 day, become of some commercial importance. 

 Among the best-known representatives of this 

 type may be included the lowland forests that 

 fringe the Amazon River in Brazil, the Orinoco 

 in Venezuela, the Parana in Argentina, and the 

 Magdalena in Colombia. These forests have 

 similar characteristics, althought they may differ 

 in regard to the species of the trees found there- 

 in from north to south. 



The forests of the swamp area are very ir- 

 regular in age, often very open, and, maturing 

 with extreme rapidity, only fast-growing species 

 obtain a footing over much of the area. For 

 the most part, the species in this type are soft 

 wooded, similar to cotton-wood, basswood and 

 yellow poplar, and many are quite colorless. The 

 trunks reach to a height of over 100 feet in the 

 best soil, and from 60 to 70 feet in the average. 

 the ordinary diameter being between 2 and 3 

 feet. Certain of these species probably reached 

 this height in a period of from 10 to 15 years, 

 and their commercial diameters in much the 



same time. The dominant stand from any 

 given region is generally of very few species. 

 In many cases four or five varieties of a tree will 

 furnish 75 per cent or more of the commercial 

 timber, and the yield will be between 8,000 and 

 10,000 feet per acre. 



A Vast Storehouse. 



Of all the types of South American forests 

 the tropical rain forest is, perhaps, the most im- 

 portant and the least known. Here in these 

 regions, almost untouched by the foot of man, 

 are to be found mahogany, rosewood, Spanish 

 cedar and numerous other classes of wood 

 adaptable to commercial purposes. It is esti- 

 mated that there is enough timber to keep 

 thousands of lumber men at work without pause 

 for hundreds of years, not even the Indians 

 having, as yet, penetrated more than a mile 

 or two into the jungle-like interior from the 

 waterways. 



This forest t5rpe in South America probably 

 contains the largest and most valuable body 

 of timber in the world, and, had shippinsr 

 facilities permitted, vast stocks of some of 

 the finest construction timber — the timber for 

 pit props in particular — could have been 

 brought over to Europe during the past four 

 years, during which the scarcity of such ma- 

 terial had been so keenly felt. Every care 

 ought to be taken for the future that these 

 regions be protected from possible destruction, 

 and some kind of international agreement ar- 

 rived at between European, North American 

 and South American Governments for the 

 institution of a strict forest administration. If 

 these areas be destroyed, as the forests of 

 Argentina, Paraguay and Southern Brazil are 

 being wasted day by day, it would mean 

 economic ruin, probably also absolute phys- 

 ical damage to land, climate, property, and 

 continent. If, on the other hand, they are 

 protected and properly utilizen South America 

 may become the centre of the world's lumber 

 prosperity in the immediate future. 



The tropical rain forests are composed of tim- 

 ber similar to that now generally in use. The 

 woods are in the main soft or of medium hard- 

 ness, and could replace yellow pine for con- 

 struction, oak for finish and furniture, hickory 

 for wheels and handles, and ash for agricultural 

 implements. It has been said by a great auth- 

 ority upon timber, that from the infinite variety 

 of these Southh American woods it is possible to 

 find one for each industry more completely 

 suited to its needs than those used to-day. 



