The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-09-26
CEDAR FOR THE CIGAR BOXES.
Hunt for New Sources Of supply
Made Necessary by War.

Vessels come into New York every
week with cargoes of cedar but since
the troubles began in Cuba their trips
have been heightened by good many
hundreds of miles. The best cedar for
cigar boxes comes from cuba, and when
this source of supply was shut off quite
an important industry was built up in
the Bayano river about 30 miles from
Panama. The royal cedar of Panama
comes nearer to rivalng the Spanish
cedar of Cuba than any heretofore dis
covered. 1t has strong, penetrating
odor is very bitter in taste, of pro.
nounced red tint, and rich in medicinal
properties. d.
For many years manufacturers or
cigar boxes used only the Spanish cedar
cut i'm the districts where the best Ha-
vana tobacco was raised. All other
cedar when made up into boxes tended
TO spoil good cigars but the Spanish
cedar not only helped the cigars TO re-
tain their flavor, but even improved It,
The cedar found growing on the keys
off the Florida coast was excellent for
making lead pencils, but il was useless
for cigar boxes. Besides deterioratine
the cigars by its peculiar odor, the gum
In IL melted when exposed to the hea,
and caused considerable trouble. When
the war with Spain began the common
cedar i'm the south was used In Mexico
n variety of cedar grows that makes a
fair substitute for the Spanish cedar,
but it is ruinouS TO pack first class Ha-
vana cigars i'm boxes manufactured
from il. For the cheap trade II Is all
right, and smokers of cheap brands Of
cigars would never notice the peculiar
Al h, trnn1 ip,nar ~ fn tho tobacco
Formerly, when the Spanish cedar was
go cheap and plentiful. the makers of
cheap brands OF cigars always packed
them i'm good Spanish cedar cigar boxes
TO improve their quality. Cigars thus
hacked for n few months would have =
delicate aroma which smokers would
attribute to the tobacco. but which was
due entirely to the flavor Of the cedar.
The cedar forests of the nited states
were never 90 extensive as those in
South and central America, but in re-
cont wears the drain unCn them has
been so trpmen 1ous that they are rapid
lv disappcaring. The most valuable at
one time were those on the islands and
kevs off the Florida coast. one OF the
largest lead pencil companies In the
world ACQUIRED the right 10 the best of
these cedar Islands. and IN has been
evstomaticallv denuding the forests
ever since Millions of lead pencils were
pnnunllv made out of the cedar trees
that 80 vears ago clothed these KEYS
Almost the same Is true NJ other cedar
forests in this country. The mountain
Stones OF Tennessee and other southern
states were at one time clothed with
vast stretches Of beautiful cedar trees.
sut fhey have been going verv fast. In
Tennessee the bucket factories use an
nuallv 5000. 600 feet Of cedar lumber
I 600 900 feet GO each wear to 81. louis
for fence posts. and the telegraph and
railroad companies use cedar almost
exclusively for their poles and railroad
ties.
The famous cedars Of Lebanon are
the most durable of all tho cedars. hut
the tree is of little value commercially
outside NJ It's native habitat. II Is cul-
,bvated i'm Europe for ornament and n
few specir,ens are IN existence in this
country. ~ can he grown In parks and
gardens. hut u docs not thrive under
natural conditions I'm the United States.
The wood of the tree Is fra grant. but N
Is not as STRONGLY scented as the red
cedar of America. Tho wood is Of n
reddish white color. and sometimes the
grain Is So close that " can he carved
As to its durability. mention should be
made Of the tirnber work ON the roof ~
tho cordova cathedral. which was built
n centuries aVo of the cedar Of Leb-
anon.-N. Y. sun.