44 



FOREST CONDITIONS OF POETO EICO. 



this purpose, and American rnill men would do well to consider this 

 phase of the subject. 



The island offers a good market for manufactures of woods of all 

 kinds, especially carriages, wagons, furniture, and agricultural machin- 

 ery. The furniture in general use. like all other conveniences in the 

 island, is of the crudest and simplest kind. There will be a good mar- 

 ket upon the island for tables, chairs, cot forms, store furnishings, coffee 

 fans practically the old-fashioned wheat fan of this country . wash tubs, 

 buckets, corn hnllers, churns, and nearly all the conveniences which the 

 people of the Tnited States consider indispensable, but which as yet 

 are hardly known in Porto Eieo. 



LUMBERING. 



Such native lumber as is procured is obtained as follows ; A desirable 

 tree being discovered, the natives proceed to it with axes and whip- 

 saws. It is felled and squared with the ax. A large circular groove 



- . . _ - a roaa tr 



Sierra Y d v. 



is cut around one end of the log. making a notch, in which ropes can be 

 secured for hauling. The squared log is sometimes lifted upon tempo- 

 rary trestles and sawn into thick slabs (tablos). These planks are not 

 completely severed, however, but are left attached by a foot or two of 

 unsawn wood at the notched end of the log: the log is then dragged by 

 ropes or pried along on rollers through the jungle, often many miles, 

 until a beaten trail is reached. It is pulled by hand down these trails 

 until they lead into the ox-cart roads. Oxen are now attached to the logs 

 and they are dragged to their destination. There is not a sawmill in 

 Porto Pico for lumbering purposes, nor is there any inducement for 

 the establishment of such a mill, because suffieienc logs could not be 

 obtained in any one locality to supply a mill, and the topographic obsta- 

 cles forbid hauling over great distances. The logs, after being cut and 



