Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-07-22
4 .SQ)HhzZL BE7NNEzW "Z1RE cHHcO"
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the South American Chaco has become so CONNIE
ciay important that it must be understood to s1gl
fly only that one tree and nothing else.
The genuine Quebracao tree is found in BraZ
Paraguay and the Argentine Republic. There a
two important varieties and a third has been d
tinguished, although it has no great signitcan
potanically value commercially. Locally and IN
the trade the names given are Quebracho colorado
(red) and Qucbracho blanco (white(. Quebracho
colorado has the scientific designation OF LOX-
opterygium lorentzii, and belongs to the order OF
Anacardiaciae. This is the particular tree from
which both the sleepers and the better quality OF
tanning extract are derived. The other Quebra-
che blanco, is neither straight nor SO service
able as the red variety. bat is nevertheless OF
definite commercial value. it furnishes some
tanning extract and the logs can be used Tor
fence posts and axles. From it is taken also a
drug extensively used for bronchial diseases; in
fact, as a plant it was studied for this purpose
long before it's other advantages were exploited,
The scientific name is Aspidosperma quebracho.
Railways must have sleepers which to lay
their rails. In some instances wooden ones are
imported at great expense substitutes there
for are used if climatic conditions are 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 begun,
and 10 more fitting wood could be discovered than
that recommended by the natives 10th by the
name and by the experience OF CnCSG WHO Hdu
used it. The Guebracho 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 seepers brought from the River Plate.
In one respect Quebracho resembles rather ma
hogany than oak Or pine. The trees do not grow
in clumps or groves but are dispersed through the
forests and the less dense woods, singly in
groups seldom more than four FIVE to the acre.
The tree itself is tall, about two three feet in
diameter, and is crowned by rather thin, oval,
or V-shaped mass of branches and leaves. The
white uuebracho is somewhat smaller than the
red and begins to branch lower to the ground, so
that it is not hard to distinguish them from each
other The leaves oval, or lance shaped,
smooth somewhat shining and leathery; they do
rot fall completely in the winter, but cling to the
branches in company with the fruit. The tree
seems to thrive best on a sandy SOIL where the at
nospheric 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 well enough
established that at ten years from planting the
first small shrubs are big enough to for posts.
The future promises, therefore, opportunity
for the actual cultivation of Quebracho because,
although savage inroads have been made into the
supposedly inexhaustble forests of the Chaco, it
is not too late to 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 it is more than probable that under the wise
administration of that government there viii be