Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-08-22

done. Neither the Spaniards nor the
natives ever had enterprise enough to
develop the timber industry. Their
| logging operations were limited to
fringes of the forests lying along the
coasts, to supply the limited local
demand. Experts declare that II would
be greatly to the advantage of the
forests and improve the quality of
timber II they could be cleared of
about one-third OF the trees, and lib
eral Inducements are offered lumber
men to come in with saw-mills; but
they cannot be expected to do so I'M
| I'll railways or some other means Of
transportation are afforded them The
timber laws are intended to be rigid
enough to prohibit speculation, and
so long as they are properly observed
there is no danger of repeating the
folly and wickedness that have attend
ed the industry in the United States.
Licenses to cut out timber on govern
| ment land may be obtained upon ap-
plcation. and tracts of $500 acres
of timber land may be purchased out
right. but the purchaser is not per
mitted to transfer the property to any
other person within a term Of five
years. | have no doubt that lum-
ber men might find methods of eyad
ing these restrictions If they desired
to do so, but with at least 40 900 900
acres of virgin forest and altogether
81 900, 900 acres of public land avail
able for numbering or cultivation there
is no immediate danger of monopol-
les here
The foresters estimate $500 cubic
feet of merchantable timber on each
of those 40 900 900 acres The govern
ment charges an average of cents
per cubic foot stumpage. BY simple
mathmatical calculation You will dis
cover that according to this estimate,
the government forests of the Phil
pines contain 100000. 900 900 cubic
feet OF timber. and II 1t could all be
disposed of at the prevailing rate
Uncle Sam would realize $1,000, 900 900
for stumpage alone, which the item
| referred to when | said that he got
something more than city real es-
tate for his money when be bought
this archipelago from the naughty
dons
The standing timber is worth on an
average of 800 per acre. and by clear
ing out under proper regulations the
great mass of mature and overmature
trees that the experts declare that
its value will he doubled, and that
the remaining woodland ought to be
worth more than $500 gold an acre.
Figuring 1t on the basis of Colonel
Sellers could demonstrate to you that
our woodlands over here are worth
So, 900 600 900.
After 375 years of Spanish domina-
ton not more than 5000 600 acres of
all kinds of land have ever been util-
lied. The Spaniards and Filipinos
have allowed all this wealth to remain
untouched
The PHILIPPINES have magnificent
river system. with at least four rivers
in Luzon alone that are navigahle
for nearly the entire length of the
island, bbut these streams have been
a disadvantage rather than an ad-
vantage, because the development of
|
narrow fringe along their banks and
alonk the harbors of the coast Had
1t not been for this fact railroads
might have been costructed and the
development of the interior might
have been more rapid All of these
rivers can be utilized more or less
by the timber Industry
No spot on earth contains more
luxuriant vegetation of a greater var.
iety of plants than the PHILIPPINE arch,
ipelago. Already the botanists have
Identified 4.555 species representing
l5l families and 100 genera and
they predict that thorough eXplor.
alton will disclose at least 10000 spec.
les of plants. Only the island of Luz
on has been partially explored. and
frequently between 200 and 800 diff
ferent species have been found on
areas not exceeding one square mile
But in this brief letter it is impos
sible to go into detail The Agricul
tural Department is preparing an
elaborate series of reports, and the
commissioners to the exposition have
a little volume summarizing the re
sources of the islands for free dis
tribution at St Louis
The word Manila is derived from
Maynilad,, native term for species
of shrub whcih grows in profusior
In this locality.
The most interesting of the many
unique trees is that botanically known
as cananga odorata, from whose flow
ers the familiar ylang-ylang perfum
cry is made. It is native to the is
lands. and although found in several
other of the East Indies, 1t seems to
grow best here. and thrives in the
neighborhood of towns and cities more
than in fields and forests. All through
southern Luzon and the Visayan is,
lands 1t is grown for shade and for
revenue combined, and may of the
native villages are actually hidden un-
der its luxuriant foliage. The tree
is propagated by seeds or cuttings
and grows in any kind of soil The
flowers begin to appear in the third
year, and from the time the tree is
eight years old for a century it will
bloom every month the year around