76 



making the Florida veneers, but it is known that most of 

 it is pine, and that the veneer is manufactured into bas- 

 kets, boxes, crates, and other shipping containers. 



There are higher classes of veneer than this, but little 

 of it is made in Florida. It is made by sawing or slicing 

 hardwoods very thin, and is used principally by makers 

 of furniture, fixtures, and interior finish. The thin sheets 

 of the costly veneer are glued upon backing of cheaper 

 woods. Most furniture, except the cheapest and the most 

 expensive kinds, is veneered. The chapest kinds are of 

 plain, inexpensive material, while the most costly sorts 

 are often made of solid in order that the carver's orna- 

 ments may be cut in the wood. 



Statistics of tanning materials are not compiled in a 

 way to show what each of the States contribute, but 

 the country is considered as a whole. The listing of 

 mangrove, however, shows that Florida is an important 

 contributor to the general supply, because that is the 

 only State pi-oducing it. The principal supply comes 

 from foreign tropical countries, and is of record among 

 the imports. In 1909, 18,925 tons of mangrove bark, and 

 1,401,000 pounds of extract were used in this country 

 for tanning and dyeing purposes. The imports of the 

 bark that year were 12,263 tons, leaving a balance of 

 6,662 tons which was presumably obtained in Florida. 

 Complete statistics later than 1909 have not been pub- 

 lished; but the imports of mangrove bark in 1910 were 

 17,088 tons. 



Next after Alabama, Florida contributes more to the 

 softwood distillation industry than any other State. Most 

 of the wood used in Florida is longleaf and Cuban pine. 

 The total amount in 1910 was 52,144 cords, which was 

 37,000 cords more than was reported the year before. 

 Both kinds of distillation are used, the destructive pro- 

 cess, which destroys the wood by burning, and the steam 

 process which employs heat, but not enough to char the 

 wood. The principal products secured by the destructive 



