Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-18

than one foot in diameter may be tapped
with bola or Ratchet in not more than
three places The amount of sap obtained
this way was much less than can be secured
by cutting down the tree, and the labor is
fully great. Hence. the regulation are UNI
popular, but they will be enforced as far as
possible. Although adulterated with rubber
and full of dirt the small amount of gutta-
percha gathered in the Philippines now sells
for an average of $75 per picul of 90 pounds
at. the little towns and fishing villages
along the coast, whence 1t is shipped by
junks to BorneO or Singapore, and there
brings double that price.
Cotton Trees.
There are many other plants and trees of
economic value. Cotton grows wild on trees
similar to those of Egypt and India on sew
eral of the islands, and the fiber is utilized
by the natives for domestic purposes. 1t is
practically useless for export, however be-
cause the staple is SO short, but it can be
improved by cultiva ton. According to ira
ditions the industry was formerly quite ex-
tensive and profitable, but was suppressed
by the government in order to compel the
natives to grow tobacco. In some parts of
the islands cotton trees are planted along
the highways for shade, and now serve to
carry the telegraph and telephone wires
When the seed is ripe the pods burst and
the air Is filed with flakes of cotton,
that travellers look as if they had passed
and ship 1t to Manila. to be used In up
holstering and for stuffing pillows and mat
treSSeS.
Cinchona.
The Dita tree, known to botanists as AL
stonia Scholaris Is a species of cinchona
The pulverized bark is used as a substitute
for quinine by the natives and is said to be
equally effective in allaying fevers and cur
ing malaria. Manila chemists extract the
alkaioid for use in preparing medicines, and
call 1t 'dtaine."
Brava the trunk of which will harden in
stead OF decay when immersed in water
and will become after years as hard as
iron: hence 1T Is invaluable for piliug for
building docks, PIERS bridges and other
works where strength and resistance to
water are necessary. In the center of the
trunk Is a hbrous pth. which is very elias
TIC. and is used for making sha fits and poles
for carriages and for a variety of other
purposes.
The Bamboo.
The bamboo is the most beautiful the most
useful and the most modest of all the trees
In the Philippines. Its feathery foliage may
be seen In every direction when one drives
about the country. 1t is even more useful
than the cocoanut which told you about
the other day, and If there were no other
trees 1t would fulfill all the demands of the
native No other timber Is necessary in
building his hut. 1t furnishes material for
every part Of the framework. No nails or
iron or any SORT are required. 1t is fastened
together with strips of its own bark. The
floor Is made by laying strips Of split bam-
boo with the convex side up, and the roof
by laying them the concave side up. and
off the rain water. The walls OF the houses.
as l explained to you the other day, are
made of the leaves Of the nipa-paIm
The young shoots Of the bamboo are used
(Nvp p0I D,,I xlo,, >1ufr, l~aA Il
licious: when cold they are chopped up for
salad. Everything from a bridge to a musi-
cal instrument Is made from bamboo. In
the parish churches you sometimes find or
gans of excellent tone made of natural
bamboo pipes.
There are. many varieties of bamboo dis
tinct in size and formation and the forestry
bureau will give you a list of more than
800 purposes for which they are used
There Is a natural rope cable found in
the forests called 'Cejuco,' which grows
sometimes to length of three or four hun
dred feet and between one and two inches
in diameter of enormous strength and elias
ITCHY 1t is used for any purpose that re-
quires a steady and regular strain. such as
bridges. for towing RATS and for hosting
heavy weights. but it will snap If subject
ed to a sudden or irregular strain
Treasures Of the Forest.
have mentioned only a few of many of
the forest treasures of the Philippines, and
there are others quite as valuable and nu-
merous The cabinet woods are of the very
finest quality and greatest abundance.
During Spanish times little was done to uti-
lie them. Hence they have fallen
precious heritage to our people. Their value
cannot be overestmated. There are or
chidS and medicinal plants OF lnHnlte va
riety and uses.
One of the most notable industries of the
islands is the extraction of oil from the
flowers of the ylang-ylang tree. which Is
shipped to Paris for the manufacture of
perfumery but this is the only flower Of
Importance that has a perfume. Nearly all
the fora of the Philippines are entirely
without it, and 1t is a remarkable fact that
no wild singing birds are found in the is
lands.
To protect this precious heritage in the
wild lands of the mountains forestry bu-
reau was organized under captain George
P. Ahern of the 9th Infantry shortly after
the civil authorities took charge, SO that the
folly that has been permitted In the de-
struction of the timber resources in our own
country will not be permitted here. The
Islands are divided into five forest districts,
with fifty-five stations and corps of
trained men has been selected to look after
timber cutting. No one can enter the forests
for that purpose without license. which
Is granted by the government upon the pay
ment of royalty, and specifies the species
and amount Of timber which may be cut in
any particular region. The man who holds
the license reports 10 the forester IN Charge
Of that particular district, who selects and
marks the trees that may be felled. With
such a system the cutting be intelli-
gently controlled, and will improve rather
than iniure the forests.
During the three years since the forestry
bureau was organized the receipts from
timber licenses have amounted to $1O74.-
S61, and they are growing rapidly. The
first year, 1901. they were less than $500
600: the second year they were about $780,
O00. and during the last fiscal year the total