Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-02-01
FORESTS OF THE PHILIPPINES

! netr CnardCter n extent-Oppo
tunities for Government Forestry
A Splendid Field for Young Forest
ers-Something About Russia's For
ests.
Washington. ID. c., Jan. 23.-Mr.
Clifford Pinchot. chief of the bureau of
forestry has returned from the Phil
ippines. where was sent last August by
Secretary Wilson. at the request of the
secretary of war. to report on the for
est policy of the islands.
A personal examination of the Phil
ippine forests and a study of market
conditions have convinced Mr.. Pinchot
of the value of the timber and of the
very great opportunities on the islands
for government forestry. Both for for
estry and for foresters," he says,
1.-The Philippines offer the finest field
I know of. The forestry bureau of the
islands, under Captain George p.
Ahern, has charge of the development
of valuable forests composed % trees
the names of which are mostly unfam-
liar to Americans and of whose habits
We know comparatively nothing. An
unlimited field for profitable study is
offered the young foresters now enter
ing the Philippine service. The OBJ
lection that the islands are danger
Ously unhealthy is a mistaken one. |
believe that a man who takes care of
himself may work with entire safety in
the Philippines"
On a gunboat placed at his disposal
by Governor Taft, Mr.. Pinchot, in com-
pany with Captain Ahern, made a trip
of 5000 miles among the islands. The
sailing was done at night, when posi-
BILE; landings were made in the day
and the forests of all the larger islands
and of many smaller ones were ex-
amined.
Probably more than half the area Of
the islands is in forest" says Mr.. Pin
chot. The best timber l saw was in
MindanaO. on the road built by the
army from the coast to Linao, where
the fighting with the Moros has been
going On. There the best trees are
$50 to ITS feet high, with clear lengths
of 80 to 100 feet and diameters of 3 to
6 feet. The forest is dense and inter
woven with creepers, and progress
through it is often impossible without
cutting a way. The islands contain
large areas without forest. as along
the railroad from Manila to Dagpna.
Nearly the whole island of Cebu and
parts of Panay are without forests.
On the other hand, Mindanao and
Paragua are nearly all in forest.
"The pine of the Benguet province
is about the only tree which an Ameri-
can in the Philippines will recognize.
Although nearly 700 species have been
described and classified doubtless
many Philippine trees still remain I'M
known. Very many of the timbers are
fine cabinet woods: nearly all are
heavy, and many sink in water. At
present their use is limited entirely
by their ability to withstand the at
lacks of the teredo and the white ant.
LAUNDERING is a problem on the
islands. The death of nearly all the
caribou has in some places reduced
the industry to the employment of
hand labor entirely, which is scarce
and unsatisfactory. What numbering
IS now going on is of the most primi-
tive sort. | have cen heavy logs
hauled with tackles by hand. A con-
siderable part of the timber used on
the islands is imported from the
United States
Mr.. Pinchot journeyed TO the Phil
lppines by way of Russia. where he
found an efficient and highly devel-
oped system of government forestry.
He visited the forest schools of st.
Petersburg and Moscow, met the forest
and made trips with them
n the woods. He also observed the
planting on the steppes.
or the Russian forests Mr.. Pinchot
says: They are very good. as a whole,
though not to be compared with those
our W Pacific coast. Across Rus-I
STA and Siberia, from Moscow to the
borders OF Manchuria. one is never
out of sight of trees
Mr.. Pinchot will make a complete re-
port on his observations in the Phil.
ippines.