KEPORT OF FORESTRY BUREAU, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. . 49 



all of which product was shipped to Singapore. There are a number 

 of rivers in this island sufficiently large for log-driving purposes. 



Of the other larger islands we find valuable forests in the islands of 

 Leyte and Samar. The island of Negros has been cut over rather 

 thoroughly for a great many years, and it will not be long before it 

 will be in the same condition as the island of Cebu, if the forests are 

 not protected. This island (Negros), prior to June, 1901, was under 

 a separate government with its own forestry service. The forestry 

 bureau at Manila now has jurisdiction in this island, and will promptly 

 introduce the forestry officials trained at Manila, enforce there the 

 forestry regulations, and protect what is left of their forests. We 

 may safely estimate that there are at least 20,000,000 acres of virgin 

 forest in these islands, with an average of at least 15,000 feet board 

 measure of valuable hardwood to the acre. 



Up to the present date the Bureau has listed 665 native tree species, 

 of several hundred of which little more is known than their names. 

 During the past year about 160 different native woods have entered 

 the market, the most valuable of which for construction purposes is 

 molave. Molave, ipil, yacal, and dungon are remarkable for their 

 durability and strength. The qualities of a few of these woods are 

 very well known to the natives, and the specifications for the main 

 timbers in house construction carefully provide that the timbers used 

 shall be some of these mentioned. In addition to their value in ordi- 

 nary construction^ they have exceptional qualities when used as paving 

 blocks. Two of the bridges in Manila were paved with molave blocks 

 about six years ago have been subjected to the heaviest traffic in the 

 city, and, apparently, at the present date, not a single block has been 

 splintered. The cafantas, or Philippine cedar, is almost entirely used 

 in making cigar boxes. Narra, tindalo, acle, and luan are used 

 principally as furniture woods. Betis, aranga, and dungon are 

 generally used as piles, for which there is a great demand in the Manila 

 market. The other important construction woods are baticulin, 

 batitinan, amuguis, guijo, apitong, panao, sacat, balacat, malabulac, 

 and malasantol. 



TIMBER USED IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS FROM JULY 1, 1900, TO 

 APRIL 30, 1901. 



There are various sources of supply for the timber market of the 

 Philippines, namely, public lands of the islands, private woodlands, 

 and importations from the United States and other foreign countries. 

 A more detailed statement of the amount of forest products taken 

 from public lands during this period will be found in the appendix. 



Cubic feet. 

 The total amount of timber taken from public lands for this period is 



found to be 1, 875, 405 



Timber from private woodlands for the same period 97, 808 



Importations by private parties 155, 714 



Amount shipped to the Philippines by the Quartermaster's Department 



for the use of the government from July 1, 1900, to April 23, 1901 713, 642 



The total amount of firewood used is 1, 629, 635 



(None but lower grade woods permitted to be used for this purpose.) 



A very small total, when we consider the vast forests from which 

 they are extracted and the great demand for timber in the islands. 

 Much of this native timber was cut as early as 1896, but not brought 



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