The Republican journal., 1898-02-03

" | ffle and time again was at the brink
his pillow on land and bis life buoy in
case of an accident upon the water
The rubber tree, however valuable to
commerce, is by no means the monarch of
the Costa Rican forest, for many are more
stately and beautiful. To say nothing of
the palms, with their splendid plumes,
there are enormous ceibas, or silk cotton
trees, and wide-spreading mahogany trees,
with Spanish moss, interspersed with wild
cherries, cacao, rose wood, lignumvitae,
and here and there gauyaua, not unlike
our apple tree, but with more foliage. Its
apple shaped fruit is about the size of
hem egg, smooth, and somewhat resem-
bling small lemon when ripe. Inside is
an aromatic pulp, full of small, white
seeds, and from this the famous guava iellv
is made. 1t will perhaps be news to many
that the vast mahogany forests in some
portions of Central America are controlled
in Boston. The mahogany lands are mostly
in the hands of few proprietors, who will
not sell them, nor allow settlers thereon.
The young trees grow rapidly, and | am
told that in 80 years from clearing the
trees that grow from the stump are large
enough to cut-quite a contrast to what
we used to read in regard to the growth
of the mahogany: "hardly undergoing a
perceptible increase of size in the narrow
span of mans lifer' The cutting and
shipping of the immense export of ma
hogany is great enterprise in itself
Several steamers ply regularly between
the Central American ports and Boston,
engaged exclusively in this trade Their
average cargo is 700, 600 feet of lumber
Then there are fleets of schoone1s laden
with mahogany logs. One Bostonian en-
ploys 1900 native workmen and lumber
men in Nicaragua and Colombia, under
American bosses. In Guatemala the gov
eminent allows anybody to cut all the
the mahogany he wants, on payment of
a certain amount stumpage. Trees are
selected thai will square Is inches.-a
path is cut to the river, aud the logs are
usually hauled at night, by lights of pine
torches. The best mahogany is said to
grow in limestone region. 1t is a law in
Nicaragua that for every mahogany tree
cut, two others must be planted in IFS
place; and thus the forests are practically
inexhaustible. Trees cut with a special
view to furniture making range in age
from so tc 40 years-but some of them are
known to have lived a century. When the
tree has been felled to the ground. it is
divided into proper lengths; then comes
the more difficult job of hauling, or float
ing, or carting it to the coast, where it is
taken on board some vessel bound for
Boston, and in due course of time is
dumped off at the Chelsea docks.
Everybody has noticed the peculiar, light
weight, crossed grained wood of which
cigar boxes are made; it comes from the
same region as the mahogany, and is
known as cedar, though it is not cedar at
ALL 1t is another immense tree and it's
botanical name is cedrela odordto
Perhaps the most useful plant of the
Costa Rican forests is the zdrza, known to
US as sarsaparilla, the basis of blood puri-
flying medicine. 1t belongs to the smilax
family, and is an enormous vine, very
troublesome in newly cleared plantations.
1t grows to great height, Ike Jack
celebrated beanstalk, clambering over
the tallest trees and snarling things up
generally. The part used in matera
medica is the long roots. The gatherer
digs them from the soil, places the stem
back in the hole and covers the end with
earth; it readily takes root and in time
produces another crop. The roots are
washed, tied in lunches and sold to deal
ers, who have them made into tight rolls.
pressed into bales, and then sewed up in
hides, for shipment. 1t is worth not less
than 10 cents per pound-and thousands
OF pounds are annually exported. The
vine is easily propagated, both by seeds
anu cuttings, and requires no cultivation.
The yield is said to average 20 pounds of
dried root to each vine; and at the price
above mentioned is certainly more
profitable crop than many that cost our
Northern farmers so much hard labor.
Cotton has been raised in Costa RIGA
since the early days of it's discovery. The
natives used to spin it, and in colonial
times there were mills-notably in Carta-
go-where very good cloths were made.
1t grows to surprising height in many
localities; but other industries. as we'll as
foreign competition, have caused it's cult
walton to be almost abandoned. Costa Ri
can tobacco is very strong and aromatic.