The evening times., 1899-08-03

OF ODSeTN2UOns Udue Ds MI nm oui iihS
a reconnaissance through the military de-
partment of Porto Rico and during which
he became familiar with its forests and by
enquiry among various persons engaged III
the wood working trades obtained valua-
bic information as TO the qualities and uses
OF the native timbers. The report con-
tains an exhaustive statement of the for
est resources Of Porto Rico and the extent
OF it's timber lands and such descriptions
OF the physical features of the island as
are necessary 10 an understanding OF It's
forest problems.
Porto Rico was originally mantled by
forests from the level of the sea to the
summit of its mountains. II is doubtful
If there was single foot of its area which
was not at some time covered by tree
growth, varying in height from the dimin-
utiye mangrove bushes which border the
s6ashore, TO the gigantic deciduous trees
mingled with the fronds and trunks of
towering palms, which add height to the
loftiest peaks and ridges.
Porto Rico, like all the Antilles. in COM
parison with the United States, has a con-
figuration ancient in aspect, although COM
paratively new in geologic age. OF the
four chief topographic features of the Great
Antilles central mountains, coast-bordef
topography, interior plains and inclosed
mountain basins) only the central noun
tains and coast-border topography are rep
resented upon this island. Mr.. Hill says
that those who have read kingsleys inter-
esting description of the tropical forests
of Trinidad or Lafcadio Hearn's vivid pic
lures Of the woods of Martinique will BE-
disappointed not to find such forests and
woods duplicated in Porto Rico, except in
the single instance of the summit portion
of FL Yunque in the Sierra Luquillo, where
there are about eight square miles of virgin
forest. The island. although wooded in the
sense that il is still dotted with many beau
tiful trees, is largely deforested from COM
mercial point of view. Porto Rico, al the
time OF its discovery. was undoubtedly
completely covered by forests of many spe-
cies of trees, but these can hardly Be said
to exist at present. A few insignificant
patches of culIed forest also occur in the
central and northwestern portions of the
island
To the casual observer the aspect of Porto
Rico in places is still that of an open wood
ed landscape. The farms and plantations,
excepting the tobacco and sugar fields. are
not cleanly cleared like those of the United
States, but, on the contrary, individual trees
are abundant and well distributed every
where. Along the roadsides, around eyer5
hut. and throughout the coffee plantations
are many trees, a few of which are rem
nants of the aboriginal forest. while most oi
them have been planted for shade or fruit
Orange trees mangoes, agLacates. bread
fruit mameys. and other stately trees are
common. while as in Americas own defor-
ested region. there are a few timber-m max
ing trees which have been spared the ak
Besides these larger trees, famboyantas
nisperos, and guanaboaas of sZIallsr growtf
add their fo':2Er 10 the wooded aspect o.
the island.
So far as was observed by reconnaissance
methods the island presents TWO strongl,
marked and ContrGs sting zones OF vegeta'
ton. One includes the whole of the noun
tains and north coast region and the cthel
is the foothill country of the south coast.
The climate of Porto Rico, although il
general warm and humid, has z E1ildel
temperature and a greater constancy oi
moisture on the highlands than in the lew
lands. while upon the latter there are oc-
casional periods of drought Accordingly,
the mountains are constantly clad with
fresh green Ne-dule lCoGsiStirg of such
remnants of the primitive fora as have es-
capped the destruction of mani and cult
waited trees, while the fora of the border
region has at times a dry and yellow as
pect. The general growth Of the mountain
region consists of deciduous trees of many
species. freely intermingled with shrut
ferns In some places the underground is
made up largely of ferns of numerous spe-
cies many of which are so tall and dense
Of growth as to constitute a yeritable
jungle.
Much of the mountain landscape is now
occupied by cultivated crops of coffee, to-
bacco, fruit trees shrubs, etc, broken by
verdant pastures of tall Para and Guinea
grass, which constitute the staple forage
of the island. There are many large cul-
tivated shrubs and bushes, attaining the
size of a peach tree, which give an as
pect of primeval wildness to one who first
sees the country. Hence it is that some OF
these mountainous portions of the island
which have the aspect of thick primeVa
forests when first viewed from distance
by the traveller from the temperate CLINE:
are really the most highly cultivated. Such
wooded lands are often occupied by the
coffee plantations. The coffee bush, which
attains no great height, is always accom-
panied by an overgrowth of dense shade
(the first essential TO the life of the coffee
bush), so that the latter has the appear
anee of an underbrush in the midst of higt
forest trees.
The mountain trees are o fmany genera
They are largely hardwoods, occurring
singly or in varied association, and not as
collections of single species, such as the
pine forests of the United States. Among
the trees of the mountains may be men,
toned the following. Papaya, guayacan
bucare tabanuco, canafistolo, maria
guiana, guava. pimienta, nutmeg, sabine
ltalaumo), hirtella, lobelia, sp., hell
coma sp., ausubo, guaraguao, maga
laurel, capa, cedro, cojobo. roble
seiba. and several palms. Single
specimens or small groups of the
above trees, which have been spared tht
woodman's ak, may be found Throughout
the upland portion of the island. In one
place however, the original forest hat
been preserved. This forest is upon tht
summit of FL Yunque, the highest peak o
the island, situated near the northeast end
and has been protected by its inaccessi-
bility Although the mountain is hardly
over 1900 feet in altitude. ii is constantly
bathed in moisture, and the steep trails tc
its summit through red clay and mud ar,
almost impassable for man and beast. The
forests on Ei Yunque consist Of an almosi
impenetrable jungle OF trees, underbrush
and lianas, and are exceedingly wet, the
rainfall averaging 120 inches per year.
Logs are still cut from the edge of tn,
Yunque forest, but the cost in time and Ia
Dor OF securing timber therefrom is fal
more than ii would be to import similar
woods from Santo Domingo.
A few acres Of forest are also preserved
here and there in the Sierra Cayey and th,
Cordillera Central. notably between Aiboni.
10 and Adjuntas. Collectively. these small
patches will not aggregate ten square mife.
Of standing timber, and have been largeI,
culled of their most valuable trees. Their,
is also small patch Of forest preserved II
the pepino hills, near Aguadilla, upon ;
small piece of land belonging to the Gov.
ernment. There may be few more acre.
elsewhere. OtherWise. In q Commercial