Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-04-01

'S"S's.s'S'.s.s.s.s. .S..S..s..S..S...S..S..S..s.
i. HARDWOODs IN PANAMA. .%
'S''S'''S''S'.S.ss'.S..S..S. .S..i.S.S.S3.S.S..s.
The following report on hardwoods
OF Panama was compiled from data
furnished by S. p. Werner, CORNER
ly of Oconee county,) sanitary in
spector Isthmian Canal Commission,
who has travelled extensively in the
Provinces, and is familiar with the
forests and the timber industry of
the country. The botanical names
have been verified and corrected by
the Forest Service of the United
States Department Of Agriculture:
The cacique (Eugenia lepidota,
family Myrtaceae) is a small tree,
growing about As feet high and foot
thick. in scattered clumps or thick
cts on the hills. 1t is comparatively
rare and the timber should therefore
not be taken out in connection with
the general lumber industry in any
given locality. The timber is general
ly considered the most valuable in the
Republic, being durable, hard, i'm
pervious to insects, and very beauti-
when cut and aged, is a rich deep
red, with black spots and stripes. The
natives demand at least, So for a
cacique whipstock or cane, and such
canes have sold in New York for $25.
The cured timber Is quoted at 35
cents per pound. There are probably
about 100000 trees of timber, and
aside from the cost of getting it out,
would be valued at about $7,000,-
900.
The name Of this tree comes from
the fact that the ancient Indian
chiefs (caciques) used the wood for
their scepters or bastons Of Office.
The ground wood is used by the ma
tives as stypic.
CaOba and Espave Trees.
The word caoba refers, in common
Central American usage, to three
kinds of trees: Guarea caoba, Ca
rapa guianensis, and Swietenia ma
hogany. All three occur in the
higher parts of Panama. The first
two attain a height of 100 feet or
more. Their timber is so similar to
Honduras mahogany (Swietenia ma
hagonia) that 1t is equally valuable
about $50 per 1000 feet. The
Guarea caoba will run from 5000 to
5000 feet per acre, and the amount
now standing in the country is val
ued at $1SO,00O,00O.
The eSpave (Anacardium rhinocar-
pus, family Anacardiaceae), often 5
feet thick at the base, grows to a
height of 80 to 120 feet, of which 40
feet from the base is clear. Some of
the large branches are available for
lumber. Some forests average IS
big trees to the acre. The leaves are
large, somewhat heart-shaped, light
green, and very abundant. The es-
pave is <prized so much by the ma
tives' as a shade tree that they usu-
ally spare 1t in clearing for planting.
They use the timber, however, for
their canoes, many Of which last
generation or more. The wood is of
reddish hay color, resembling ma
hogany, for which it is often mis-
taken. 1t is close-grained, durable
and uniform in texture, takes a pol
ish. and works readily. The timber
is worth $50 per 900 feet and the
total value is about $4,000, ,0O0.
GuaTaCun. Laurei and santa Maria
she guayacau CTccoma chrysan-
tina. iamjly Bianouiaceae} Is some
what. smaller t,2u most hardwGO6s.
averaging 70 feet high and feet
thick aud branching 80 feet from the
ground. The leaves are small and
compound, and the grayish black
bark is rough and shaggy, with longi-
tudinal burrows. The inforescence
is mass of magnificent golden bios
SONS. The wood, hardest and most
durable of the timbers Of Panama. is
akin to the lignumvitae (Guaiacum)
of the West Indies. 1t is much heav-
ier than water, and to be RATED must
be carried with lighter wood. Rail-
way ties Of guayacan have been in
use on the Panama Railroad for more
than so years. Since it is so hard
that holes had to be bored for the
spikes, it might be advisable to work
it green for some purposes. The
small waste Of the industry might be
used for shuttle blocks, Of which the
supply in the United States is fast
becoming exhausted. There are
probably 100000 of these trees in
Panama, worth about $4O,00O,O00.
The Laurel (Cordia gerascanthus,
family Borraginaceaae,) 3 feet in
diameter. grows on hillsdes to
height Of 100 feet. The bark is
white. The wood is yellow, hard.
fine-grained, durable, and easily
worked. It is said to be good for
piling. There are probably more
than 100000 laurel trees in Pana-
ma, with an average yield of 1000
feet per tree and a total value Of
0,000,O00.
The Santa Maria of calaba (Calo-
phyllum calaba, family Gutiferae) is
large evergreen, attaining a height
Of 100 feet or over with more than
SO feet clear and with a diameter at
the base of about 8 feet. The bark
is comparatively thin, mottled gray
and black, slightly rough. 1t peels
from the wood readily. The wood is
grayish white, as hard and elastic as