The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-04-07

,os7o RlCo AND q VIHY
m rarsTINc POSSESSION.

no,ntain Wilderness Never
Afa'yr x,lored. Containing Plant
Fu' ~. 70 Botanists-Dr. Clifford
' .n Make 1t a spor:sman's Para
os: ,.u,o
!. Island Of Porto Rico Uncle
u u, .o,t 70 hinseli iof ! Speoi'l
SD " a,- nosscsston just three years
So's'1 ,roaicaI forest. His f'.ss dia 1, I
sso 3 uor about il. nor for that mat
r'E ! I no native Porto Rican5 them
s", -, speaking Il comprised some
h'us ,oe in the eastern and most
wv .,i,eops parts Of The island but
n'a s.nnfaries were ii defined IT'S
y n-s overgrown With thick vines
res ~ weeds. II had no paths at
sao "a nobody ever thoroughly eA-
al an 1+ But il belonged to nobody
pore .: ~ and it was in line with
7 Es sors.t preservation policy Of or
Us nont lust then to acquire such
i0s' 's,nns for use in studying the
l''ssr problem. which affects large
u ~ important interests,
ale ~ :, ros duly made forest reserve
" IA Government experts were SCI
Z. LII % explore and survey IT, 70
~, rs value to the Government
u. ~ say what had best be done with
aD4 n, yohn c. Clifford Of the Bureau
i !, Forestry was sent 70 examine me
sev preserve.
i. ronort contains. in addition to a
.i,n,;ac description of previously I'M
,'..-ibsd fora in the forest and much
..,,,noriou of interest to botanlsts
:. ~ the experts, recommendations OF
'..,,ss, 10 all the people in the lnlt"d
, Gates Or. Clifford describes the Tor
:, ,s one of unusual scenic beauty,
r,om the economic point OF view II
sh0rli be naHdscu ~ -
r.+r--s from such timber q Il con
Ill. HI Il should also be made aces
.ibe 10 the public for its scenic at'r2c-
io,s Reads should be opened ana
s.b md game introduced. Then It VII
4 IN exceedingly valuable and highly
,,trarra sportsmen's paradise
a mesent il opens merely splen-
"A onpor.unity for studies Of tropical
f,ras, botany. What its value vii! be
q source Of timber suPplr is more
i las problematigal. Mahogany, i
syer present in the forest, as seems,
rrobable has been entirely extermiAat-
ID and the cigar box cedar is also
practically gone.
Valuable wood remains, but the essen
igIy ,ropical character Of the forest,
IN which a great number OF species
,opteud with one another for posses
,Ou makes the problem Of manage
uen very difficult one. Wee trees
abound, and there is no uniformity Of
forest growth. Certain good trees
which elsewhere grow to be large and
beautiful timber speciments here exist
only as shrubs.
The best of the forest in the reserve
Is found in the fertile gorges and ra-
vines from 800 to 1900 feet above sea
level. where the trees are protected
from the constant winds.
There are four leading timber trees
the tabanuco, with a wood very like
bur sycamore; the laurel sabine, which
would grade in the market with yellow
poplar, the ausubo, comparable with
black walnut apd the guarasuao, sim
lar to red cedar.
All these trees reach a large size.
z1ging from two to five feet in di-
meter The tabanuco has. in addi-
ion, the. very valuable characteristic
mat il tends to form pure or nearly
pure stands It produces a kind ot
:um which may prove to be an article
u commercial Importance.
Climbing vines add TO the density
u the vegetation Then there is q
pecies Of grass which grows TO five
leet high and cuts like razor at the
highest touch.
The most abundant tree growth is
ae mountain palm, which is very
auhful but of little or no value. TIC
Tt nd Of these trees will have to be
ae hrst job if valuable timber is Sc
afed. They grow to a height of forty
~t and already cover half the best
vi OF the reserve. They yield an i'm
uense amount of seed and grow very
alckly, so nothing in the forest car
mpete with them for possession OF
AWNING like equal terms.
WHO trees of the most aggressive
anu' Dr.. Clifford calls these beautiful,
0useless specimens.
Auole ZOO feet altitude the trees
V Smted, gnarled and slow grow
" OF many different species, witt
aOss covered limbs and roots Otter
We They are of no commercial
1ue' out are of great importance
y protective forest cover.
Is IN this last respect that the for
is particularly interesting to tn,