72(1 wiiiTFoun. 



lieri' JUT i()iiip(»st'il of liroad-k-aved trfus. ami would, in the I'liited States 

 at least, be classed as hardwoods. In texture, iHiwcxcr, a large per cent 

 (»f the trees produce woods with the general uiechauical properties of 

 pines and other conifers. 



'J'iie dipterocar]) woods may he divided into three groups. Of these the 

 lauans (l^nitncnir ronioria, Pdnislidrrn iiliftihi and a iiumhcr of species 

 of Slinrcd), though slightly harder, are not dissimilar to the white pines 

 in mechanical structure. 'J'hey are being used in the Philippines for 

 lighter cla.s.«<es of general construe! ion and l)id fair to replace all imported 

 woods of like (pialities.'" 



The apitongs (species of Dijiicrararpus and >Shorea yniso) will compare 

 favorably with the hard pines and are being used for heavier classes of 

 general construction. The yacals (certain species of Tlopea, Yaiica. and 

 Shorea) are hard and durable and are used for general construction 

 work, especially where contact with the ground is necessary. However, 

 the great bulk of the Philippine forests is composed of trees that yield 

 timber of the grades of lauan and apitong. Of the trees other than 

 dipterocarps found in the dipterocarp forest probably one-half of the 

 bulk is composed of woods that would grade with the lauans or apitong. 

 Of these the family Anacardiaceae produces Koordersiodendron pinnatum 

 (aniuguis), Dnuuiitoiiieluin dno (dao), Manyifera altissliua (pahutan) ; 

 in the iSapotaccae are Illipe ramijiora and several species of raJaquiuin; 

 in the Sterculiacrac are Tarrietia javanica (lumbayao) and other species 

 of several genera; in the Sapindaceae is Poinetia pinnata (malugay) ; in 

 the Rhamnacrac are species of Zizijphus (balacat) : in the Comhretaceae 

 arc several species of Terminal in. and in the HiiJiinrcae is Sarcoccphahis 

 cordaiuft (bancal).^* 



The prevalent idea that the tropics produce nothing but hardwoods 

 suitable for special uses like the teak for shipbuilding, and the nuihoganies 

 and their substitutes, for fine interior finish, furniture and cabinet making, 

 is due, in the Philii)pines at least, to a number of causes. 



1. The wood-desti'oying forces in the tropics are much greater than 

 in temperate j-cgions. The continual heat and moisture favor the rapid 

 development of fungi, and w^ith the presence of anay (white ants) tend 

 to shorten the duration of untreated timljers in almost evei-y class n[' 

 construction, conscfpiently hard durable timbers are sought for ]»ennanent 

 structures. 



2. The cost of extracting siu'li tind)ers by ci-ude methods (animal aJid 



'" (Jn account of color and line ligurc, when quarter sawn, tlie best grades of 

 llie lauans are valuable for furniture, cabinet niaUing. and line classes of interior 

 finish, and are used e.vtensively as such. 



"See Foxworthy, F. W. Philippine Woods, This Jourmil 2 (1907) Bolany 

 .■J51-404, and fiardner, K. Mechanical ]*ro[)erties and Uses of Thirty-four Philip- 

 pine Woods, Bureau of Forestry (Philip.) Bull. 4 (lOOC » l-fU;, for dPScrii)tion of 

 the uses and mechanical properties of these woods. 



