Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-06-02
CUBA NEEDS FORESTS.
Island Not Well Timbered, De-
spite Reports to the Contrary.
VIEWS OF AN EXPERT IN FORESTRY

Mahogany and Cedar supply Fast
Nearing Exhaustiop, Says John
Clifford - Planting of Eucalyptus
Trees to supply Shade and Char
coal Suggested-Need of Fence Ma
teriaI.
Unusual information about Cuba is
contained in an article in the May num-
Der of The Forester, written by John
Clifford, the founder of that magazine.
1t is called Forest Conditions In
Cuba" and is the result of the writer's
journeys across the island from Glen
fuegos TO Havana. coasting along the
southern shore and making short ex-
cursions into the country around Ha-
vana and Santiago. 1t Will surprise
many persons to learn from Mr.. Gift
ford that Cuba is not a well wooded
island in spite of the statements made
in many magazine and newspaper ar
ticles regarding the islands wealth Of
valuable forest trees. According TO
Mr.. Clifford. the marketable timber is
being cut so rapidly that within a few
years II will be extirpat ted. and about
half of his article is devoted to ssugges-
tons not for forest cutting, but for
forest planting. He writes:
81 have been surprised to find so
much of this island bare. Even in the
mountainous districts the forest ap-
peared to me sparse and thin. I'M
mense areas have been cleared in times
past for cane and tobacco plantations,
and almost everywhere on uncultivated
land fires have been set to improve the
pastUrage. Cuba has always been n
great cattle country. and this. no doubt,
Mt least in part accounts for the lack
of luXuriant forests in comparison
with Jamaica and other tropical dis
tricts. Owing to absence of proper
means of communication there is n
lack of wood in certain districts. espe-
cially the central portion. Wood and
charcoal are in great demand for fuel.
fence material is scarce, and even small
poles, which are extensively used IN
drying tobacco in the field. are expen-
sive. The planting of forests in Cuba
would pay as well, ! believe. as else
where on the western continent"
Charcoal is the fuel most in use in
Cuba. and is in fact the only practical
bic fuel for general cooking in the M
tive houses. as coal or wood enitS too
much heat to be bearable during tie
hot season. Mr.. Clifford suggests the
planting of the eucalyptus tree in
groves, to be used for the production
Of charcoal, and believes that money
thus invested would bring in good re-
turns, as the demand for charcoal is
great. Another pressing need of the
island is good fence material. There
has always been heavy demand for
this, particularly for fence post ma
terial. and this demand will doubtless
be greater than ever now that Cuba
is about to wake up commercially.
Chestnut, locust and logwoOd. Mr.. Gift
ford thinks, could be planted to ad-
in Cuba and used for fences.
Considerable quantities of mahogany, 1
cedar and licnum vitae have been ship |
ped from Cuba in the past, and the |
large number OF structures on the is |
and containing mahogany shows that |
It must formerly have been much more |
plentiful than il is now. Both the ma
hogany and the cedar trees are far /
apart and are becoming rarer every |
year, so that Mr.. Clifford predicts their |
in n short time. In the |
mountains lignum vite is still abun-