New Iberia enterprise and independent observer., 1903-01-31
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Mr. Clifford plu.hot, thlet II the
Bu,eau of ForcSty, has returned
from the Philippines, where ht
was sent last August by Secretary
Wilson. to report on the forest pai
icy Of the islands.
A personal examination of the
Philippine forests and study ct
market conditions have convinced
Mr.. Pinchot of the value Of the
timber and Of the very great orpor-
tunities on the islands for govern
ment forestry. "Both for forestry
aud foresters,' he says, 1.-The
Philippines offer the finest field |
know Of. The Forestry Bureau of
the islands, under Capt. Geo =.
Ahern, has charge of the develop
ment Of valuable forests composed
Of trees the names of which are
mostly unfamiliar to Americans
and of whose habits we know com
paratively nothing An Unlimited
field for profitable study is offered
the young foresters now entering
the Philippine service. The OBJ
lection that the islands are danger
ously unhealthy is mistaken one.
| believe that a mau who takes care
Of himself may work with entire
safety in the Philippines"
On a gunboat placed at his dis
posal BY Governor Taft, Mr.. Pin
chot, in company with Captain
Ahern, made trip of 5000 miles
among the islands. The sailing
was done at night, when possible
landing were made in the day aud
the forests of all the larger islands
and of many of the smaller ones
were examined.
"Probably more than half the
area, of the islands is in forest y
says Mr.. Pinchot ''The best tim
ber saw was in Mindanao, on the
road built by the army from the
coa>, to Liuao, where the fighting
with the Moros has been going on
There The best trees are $50 to l75
feet high. with clear lengths Of 80
to 100 feet aud diampterS of ) to 6
feet The forest is dense and IN
lrrwuveu with crerlrrS, aud pro-
gress through it is often impossl-
bic without cutting way. Tie
islands contain large areas without
forest, Ms along the railroad from
Manila to Dagupan. Nearly the
whole island Of Cebn and parts of
Panay are without forests. On the
other hand. Mindanao aud Paragna
are nearly all in forest.
The pine of the Benguet prov
nce is about the only tree which
an American in the Philippines
will recognize. Although nearly
700 species have been described
aud classified, doubtless many
Philippine trees still remain un-
known. Very many of the tim
bers 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 attacks of the teredo
and the white ant.
Laundering is problem on the
islands. The death Of neary all
the caribou has in some place re-
duced the industry to the employ
ment of hand labor entirely, which
is scarce and unsatisfactory. What
numbering is now going on is of
the most primitive sort. ! have
seen heavy logs hauld with tackles
by hand. A considerable part of
the timber used on the islands is
imported from the United States "
MIR. Pinchot journeyed to the
Philippines by way of Russia, where
he found an efficient and highly
developed system of government
foresty. He visited the forest
schools of st. Petersburg and
Moscow, met the forest officials and
made trips with them into the
woods. He also observed the plant
ing on the steppes
OF the Russian forests Mr.. Pin
chot says: "They are very good,
as a whole, though not to be CON-
pared with those Of our own Paci
fic coast. Across Russia and 81
IBERIA, from Moscow to the borders
of Manchuria, one is never out OF
sight of trees"
Mr.. PinchOt will make a COM
plete report on his observations in
the Philippines.