Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-07-22
4 .SNIUIzXL BE7NlEEW "Z72E cHAcO"
NM CyIyLIZH7IIH

the South American Chaco has become CONNIE
cialy important that it must be understood to sign
fly only that one tree and nothing else.
The genuine quebraChO tree Is found IN Braz
Paraguay, and the Argentine Republic There al
two important varieties and third has been Gil
tinguished, although it has no great slgnlncah'
Dotanicaly value commercially. Locally ana Ill
the trade the names given QuebrachO colorado
gred) and Quebracho blanco (white) Quebracho
colorado has the scientific designation OF Lox-
oDterygium lorentzii, and belongs to the order or
AnaCardaciae. This is the particular tree from
which both the sleepers and the better quality Oh
tanning extract derived. The other, GUERRA
cho blanco is neither straight nor so service
able as the red variety but is nevertheless of
definite commercial value, it furnishes some
tanning extract and the logs can be USED LOT
fence posts and aXles. From it is taken also
drug extensively used for bronchial diseases; III
fact as plant it was studied for this purpose
long before its other advantages were exploited
The scientific name is Aspdosperma queDracho
Railways must have sleepers on when TO lay
their rails. In some instances wooden ones are
imported at great expense, or substitutes there-
for are used If climatic conditions favorable
AS rule however it is preferred to take sup
plies from native timber whenever procurable
This was the case in the Argentine Republic When
railway building away from the coast had negun'
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 it. The Quebracho wood proved by far the
most serviceable for sleepers on South American
RAILWAYS and it's reputation grew steadily that
today many miles of European rails are supported
by sleepers brought from the River Plate.
In one respect quebracho resembles rather ma
hCgany than oak or pine. The trees do not grow
i'll chImDs groves, but are dispersed through the
forests and the less dense woods, S1ngy or Ia
groups seldom more than four or five to the acre.
The tree itself is tall about two or three feet in
diameter, and Is crowned by rather thin, oval,
or V-shaped, of branches and leaves. the
white ouebracho is somewhat smaller than the
red and begins to branch lower to the ground so
that it is not hard to distinguish them from eacn
other The leaves oval, or lance shaped,
smooth somewhat shining and leathery; they do
not fall completely in the winter, but cling to the
branches in company with the fruit. The tree
seems to thrive best sandy soil, where the at
mospheric moisture is not very great, but where
abundant water is provided for the roots, either
by dews or sufficient rain. 1t is neither a noun
tain nor river growth but lives best in the sub
tropical stretches between water courses. AL
though the age of the tree has been given as
measured by hundreds of years, it is we'll enough
established that at ten years from planting the
first small shrubs are 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 inexhaustibe forests of the Chaco 1t
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
ing generations. In fact, the Argentine Republic
has already passed suitable laws in this direction
and 1t is more than probable that under the wise
administration of that government there will be