14 



THE CUBA REVIEW. 



COMMERCIAL MATTERS. 



Cuban Customs Collections — 1906, 1907 

 and 1908 Compared. 



1906 1907 1908 



January ..$1,592,110.04 $1,614,670.78 $1,595,713.97 



B^ebruai-y . 1,600,704,09 1,379,201.37 1,272,023.08 



March 1,686,846.74 1,748,366.51 1,445,400.00 



The collections for the first three 

 months of IQOS show a marked decrease 

 as compared with both 1907 and 1906, 

 with the exception of January, 1906, al- 

 though the 1907 total collections showed 

 an increase of more than $1,500,000' over 

 those of 1906. The falling ofif began with 

 January of this year and continuing in 

 February and March indicate the effects 

 of the business depression in the United 

 States. 



Cuban Cedar and Mahogany — Market at 

 New York. 



Mahogany: At the present time there 

 is quite a full and complete assortment 

 of this grade of wood on hand, so that 

 we do not feel warranted in recommend- 

 ing shipments. The receipts for March 

 were less than those of the preceding 

 month, but notwithstanding this fact 

 stock in first hands has been increased. 



Cedar: The receipts, although greater 

 than for the preceding month, were not 

 large, and part of them have passed into 

 second hands. There is but little change 

 in the' stock in first hands, and shipments 

 cannot be recommended. 



George F. Herriman. 



April I, 1908. 



Cedro or Spanish Cedar. 



(Cedrella odorata.) 



Among the many valuable cabinet 

 woods which are found in Cuba and 

 which are rapidly being exhausted by 

 short-sighted exploitation of the forests, 

 no wood is more indispensable than the 

 cedro or Spanish cedar, best known, 

 perhaps, as the wood from which the 

 cigar boxes are made. 



For commercial foresting it is the most 

 promising of all Cuban trees. It is 

 hardy, quick-growing, easily propagated, 

 and will succeed in many places not eas- 

 ily tilled. It forms a good straight 

 trunk, even when growing in the open 

 (as seen in the accompanying photo- 

 graph of a tree found growing in a stone 

 fence at the edge of stony pasture 

 ground). It is one of the large timber 

 trees, and a sugar planter reports having 

 cut 1,500 feet of lumber from one cedro 

 removed in clearing a field. 



The cedro does not make a solid tim- 

 ber growth in the natural forest, but is 

 scattered among other trees. Under for- 



estry conditions however, many could be 

 grown to an acre. It is also a suitable 

 tree for planting in pastures or wherever 

 a light shade is desired. 



Recent statistics show that between 

 25,000 and 30,000 feet of cedro, at a value 

 of about $35 per thousand feet, are be- 



VALUABLE CABINET WOODS OF CUBA. 



The Cedro or Spanish Cedar Rapidly Being Ex- 

 hausted in Cuba, 



ing exported annually from Cuba, and 

 it is evident that the supply will soon 

 run short if there is no replanting. 



In the local lumber yards cedro com- 

 mands over $100 per thousand feet. 



England's Trade with Cuba. 



Our Consul at Havana has not a very 

 encouraging account to give of the trade 

 of Cuba in 1906. The imports increased 

 from £18,994,000 to £19,604,000, but the 

 exports declined from £22,034,000 to £20,- 

 783,000, a falling off in total trade of 

 £640,000'. About half the imports came from 

 the United States, which also absorbs prac- 

 tically all the exports. We furnish about 

 14 per cent, of the imports and take not 

 quite 7 per cent, of the exports. — Financial 

 Times, London. 



