12 



THE CUBA REVIEW 





A Logwaod Tree Oi-u\viiiy in thr Wild State 



most to the' ground. In old and fully-developed trees the lower branches are utihzed 

 same as the trunks. The trees are easih' recognized on account of their peculiar fluted 

 trunks and their gray-harked branches which are generally spiny^ near the extremities. The 

 leaves are small, consisting of three or four pairs of leaflets, rarely over an inch in length 

 and less than half as wide. The flowers are small, yellow and arranged in small clusters. 

 The fruit is a pod remotely resembhng that of our black locust. 



The logAvood tree is indigenous chiefly to the mainland of tropical America, abounding 

 especially in the southern part of Mexico, British Honduras, Honduras, Guatemala, 

 Nicaragua and Panama. It is common also in Columbia, ^'enezuela and the Guianas. Its 

 range of growth has been considerably extended artificially. As early as 1715 the log- 

 wood tree was introduced into Jamaica and has since then been widely diffused either 

 under cultivation or naturalized in all the West Indian Islands and in the northern part 

 of South America, as well as in some parts of tropical Asia. The tree is now thoroughly 

 naturaUzed in the West Indies and grows wild among other trees in the forests. It is planted 

 regularly for commercial purposes in Jamaica, where the annual output of logwood represents 

 about one-fifth of the world's supply. 



The portion of the tree used is the heartwood, which alone is exported. The sapwood 

 which is thin and light yellow, is removed by means of an axe as soon as the tree is felled. 



