The Forrest City times., 1910-07-22
4 .S4lE4zZk BEZlKEE1Y .sZ17E# CHICO" H/1.D CIILLIZTTIOH

the South American Chaco has become so comme cially important that il must be understood to sign " only that one tree and nothing else.
 The name gacbraeho tree fs found in Braz Paraguay. and the Argentine Republic There al two important varieties and third has been di tingGlshed, although Il has no great sgnidcan( botanicaliy or value commercially. Locally and in the trade the names given are Quebracho colorado tred) and Quehracho bianeo twhite1 Quebracho colorado has the scientific designation of Lox- >pteWgium loren,zii, aud belongs 10 the order of Anacardiacae. This Is the particular tree from which both the sleepers and the better quality Of tanning extract aTr derived The other, Quebra- che blanco1 Is neither straight service able az the rcd variety. Uut is nevertheless of definite commercial value. 1t furnishes some tanning extract and the logs can be used for fence posts and aAles. From il l. taken also drug extensively ased for bronchial diseases, in fact plant it studied for this purpose long before its other advantages were exploited The scientific name ts Aspidosperma qHebraeho.
 Railways must have sleepars which 10 lay their rails. In some instances wooden ones are imported al great expense or substitutes there for are used fl climatic conditions are favorable As a rule, however. il is preferred to take sup plies from native timber whenever procurable. This was the case in dhe Argentine Republic when railway building away from the coast had begun, and no more fitting wood could be discovered than that recommended by the natives. both by the name and by the eXPerience of those who had uSed II. The qaebTaeh0 wood proved by far the most seryieeabe Tor sleepers South American railways. aHd is reputation grew steadily that today many miles Of European rails supported by sleepers brought from the River Plate.
 In one respect quebracho resembles rather ma hogany than oak or pine The trees do grow in elumps groves, but are dispersed through the forests and the less dense woods singy or in groups seldom more than four or five to the acre The tree itself is tall about two three feet in diameter. and is crowned by rather thin, oval. or N-shaped, mass of branches and leaves. The white quebraeho is somewhat smaller than the red, and begins to branch lower to the ground so that il Is not hard 10 distinguish them from each other The leaves are oval. lance shaped. smooth, somewhat shining and leathery: they do not fall completely in the winter but cling 10 the branches in company with the fruit The tree seems to thrive best sandy soil. where the at mospheric moisture is nor very great but where abundant water Is provided for the roots either by dews or sufficient rain. + is neither a noun tain nor river growth hat lives best in the sub tropical stretches between water courses Al. though the age of the tree has been given as measured by hundreds or years it ts well enough established that al ten years from planting the first small shrubs big enough to use for posts The future promises therefore. an opportunity for the actual cultivation Of quebracho because, although savage inroads have been made into the supposedly ineAhaustible forests of the Chaco it is not too late restrict the cutting of the tree or even to adopt modern forestry methods of planting and conservation for the supply Of com Eg generations. In fact the Argentine Republic has already passed suitable laws in this direction
 nd 1t is more than probable that under the wise administration of that government there will be