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Show iflAM)Eif Or ALL gfe i , . WO of the greatest industries in the AkA ' world are railway building and the I j preparation of hides and skins into leather. For the former the sleep- fc'l ers on which the rails are laid are JaafcN. essential and costly factors; for the yTp latter nothing can take the place t't&zl iw of some vegetable extract which is I ffH' ) the tanning subsynce of the trade. V W Sleepers can be iade of glass and satisfaction of those made of wood. The oak and the hemlock have for ages supplied tannin by which leather is cured; in fact, the very word tann implies by Its derivation its relation to the oak, by which name the tree was called in old Breton language. Railway sleepers, have been made from the oak, but the expense grows higher year by year. No wonder, therefore, that the earth is scoured for trees to furnish fur-nish either the one or the other or both of the substances, sub-stances, and no wonder also that manufacturers and builders hailed with delight the announcement a few years ago of the availability for both purposes of the South American tree called "Quebracho." Quebracho is a contraction of the colloquial Span-, ish and Portuguese term quiebra-hacha, originally applied to many trees in Latin America. It means "ax breaker," and the character is Implied in this meaning. The wood is hard, fine grained, and tough and had been used by the natives for ages in their primitive construction work. Of recent years, however, how-ever, quebracho is restricted in the arts and industries indus-tries to a particular tree found only in South America, Amer-ica, and even here only within broad limts of the drainage basin of the River Parana. In Cuba there is a "quebracho," so-called locally, which is a member mem-ber of the Copaiba family. In Chile a quebracho is rather of the Cassia family, and probably in other parts of Latin America the name is indiscriminately given to any hard wood that has tested the metal of the native's ax. No such indefinite use of the word, however, can be permitted today, because the tree of . WO of the greatest industries in the i9aB- h , t i - t Kt! ' world are railway building and the i&C- lfcv'' ' - I J 'X ' V Sf ' lxl f j preparation of hides and skins into feoS.TC.V'- U " ? - f JAY VI frS leather. For the former the sleep- Jfty?j& v' . " nXV'' J . p',' J4 ers on which the rails are laid are Vti( lT . '-Y-. 'V ' M -i essential and costly factors; for the SAVJT, I J ! ? u thr.. Att&JX" TRVX nothinS can take the place JfRf T. YlZ Yfrr f A f Miik of some vegetable extract which is 5jy7fV KWr-,lNs ft r'Vi the tanning subs' nee of the trade. fSSf I l-A Itr .t V 4" x 1 Ml Sleepers can be liade of glass and SSfH5 SJ A ' M ' fy satisfaction of those made of wood, f-? r .aJl3 - -T ' ' f " I LWtlf x H The oak and the hemlock have for syjS U ifTS. ' A' $ jTn - l ages supplied tannin by which rfe- J ' , , $ J 2 1 " U leather is cured; in fact, the very word tann implies S M t J '7 lM Xf fj'iXS j s II by its derivation its relation to the oak, by which sr -.aSS f - ' ' V & Mrry i 1 x v A name the tree was called in old Breton language. K jlv , tv-'!. 3 ? si Railway sleepers have been made from the oak, but U, ? - T y T r1 V V V , 1 the expense grows higher year by year. No wonder, ' v ,Si F"- VV&N , therefore, that the earth is scoured for trees to fur- WW K ' s s vV v nish either the one or the other or both of the sub- l ..It.mw' , stances, and no wonder also that manufacturers and srj 1 s ia:--a' ' ! - 1 builders hailed with delight the announcement a few i "gar!!gg -t jyj- yj-f?OR OF A years ago of the availability for both purposes of the I SgT? ' 1 QUEBRACHO EXTRACT South American tree called "Quebracho." mS:g'fMX" FACTORY Quebracho is a contraction of the colloquial Span-. At.Kf JvL'VS- - A r, rf . ish and Portuguese term quiebra-hacha, originally -f J applied to many trees in Latin America. It means 5SV ?t 1 x JrT&S8('$J' "ax brealcer," and the character is Implied in this f YJi& meaning. The wood is hard, fine grained, and tough iMftS . . JWj&fjfe' and had been used by the natives for ages in their rt SWV, V 'KW'k 1 primitive construction work. Of recent years, how- - 4 I "$f fLryg ever, quebracho is restricted in the arts and indus- faWtfjJ?"1 ktlfyX &fijf$ I tries to a particular tree found only in South Amer- 'jOF ica, and even here only within broad limts of the ryt1' drainage basin of the River Parana. In Cuba there SS5 is a "quebracho," so-called locally, which is a mem- V Vff X&f J ber of the Copaiba family. In Chile a quebracho is i ' , . j UK rather of the Cassia family, and probably in other A S jri ' V t jLf t V" J WJ I I parts of Latin America the name is indiscriminately .JL, ffl-t. VV sT Jttu fei Af fJ given to any hard wood that has tested the metal of f ,T'v S v 1 A f H w' i'--J ' the native's ax. No such indefinite use of the word, ! " , j J J'.' ' however, can be permitted today, because the tree of J" -a " 1 j- ' 'J Yj ! fmmS: Sjj "fl A QUEBRACHO TRIE Jf WJm ASAWAVl RETWEFrt "THE CACO" !V"; , 't C lS? AND CMJJZATJOS1 f3SSiB f ; A f the South American Chaco has become so commer- ZTwnj tll?f is'fi :Ji?'3?4S:81l cially important that it must be understood to signi- sl K-ivs-it:Xtvi4) and hides Into leather is, however, ly only that one tree and nothing else. X4-:4 WXf&f. l'0M&0S- the most serviceable product of The genuine quebracho tree is found in Brazil, SaaS5SSSaBsg 'iijlSrffi' the tree. All the timber corn-Paraguay, corn-Paraguay, and the Argentine Republic. There are a' 7T 3A?X OF TfF QUEBHACHO panies are adjusting their plants two important varieties and a third has been dis- ' -fRFET so as to ullIize te wood, either linguished, although it has no great significance in us entire output, or in that the South American Chaco has become so commercially commer-cially important that it must be understood to signi-ly signi-ly only that one tree and nothing else. The genuine quebracho tree is found in Brazil, Paraguay, and the Argentine Republic. There are two important varieties and a third has been distinguished, dis-tinguished, although it has no great significance and hides Into leather is, however, the most serviceable product of the tree. All the timber companies com-panies are adjusting their plants so as to utilize the wood, either in its entire ontnnt. or in that botanically or value commercially. Locally and in the trade the names given are Quebracho Colorado (red), and Quebracho bianco (white). Quebracho Colorado has the scientific designation of Lox-opterygium Lox-opterygium lorentzii, and belof.gs 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, Quebracho Quebra-cho bianco, is neither so straight nor so serviceable service-able as the red variety, but is nevertheless of definite commercial value, as it furnishes some tanning extract and the logs can be used for 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 its other advantages were exploited , The scientific name is Aspidosperma quebracho. Railways must have sleepers on which to lay their rails. In some instances wooden ones are Imported at great expense, or substitutes therej for are used if climatic conditions are favorable . As a rule, however, it is preferred to take supplies 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 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 its reputation grew so steadily that today many miles of European rails are supported by sleepers brought from the River Plate. In one respect quebracho resembles rather mahogany ma-hogany than oak or pine. The trees do not grow In clumps or groves, but are dispeised through the forests and the less dense woods, singly or in 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 a rather thin, oval, or V-shaped, mass of branches and leaves. The white quebracho 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 are oval, or lance shaped, emooth, 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 on a sandy soil, where the atmospheric at-mospheric moisture is not very great, but where abundant water is provided for the roots, either by dews or sufficient rain. It is neither a mountain moun-tain nor a river growth, but lives best in the subtropical sub-tropical stretches between water courses. Although 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 firtt smail shrubs are big enough to use for posts The future promises, therefore, an opportunity for the actual cultivation of quebracho, because, iilthough savage inroads have been made into the fuppose'dly inexhaustible 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 coming com-ing generations. Iu fact, the Argentine Rcpublio has already passed suitable laws in this direction, and it is more, than probable that under the wise idmlniftration of that government there will be developed an arboricultural industry to proceed hand in hand with the preparation of quebracho posts for fences and construction work, sleepers for railways, and of tanning extract, the three industries for which this unique tree is at present utilized. "Rollizos" is the Spanish word commonly employed em-ployed in the trade for the rough and untrimmed logs (which the word means), from which only the bark has been removed. They are still supplied sup-plied by smaller camps from dwarfed undergrowth under-growth not great enough for other purposes than posts, beams, cabin pillars, or cart axles. When the forest was first invaded these logs "'ere the only product brought out of it, and the stoiles told of the primitive methods adopted by the natives for transport carry one back before the days of steam and machinery. A popular way of loading the logs was to lay them on the ground on ropes; then the animals were unharnessed and the cart was tilted bodily upside down over the logs; these were then made fast to the body of the cart, after which maneuver it was brought back to its normal position. Of course only two-wheeled carts were used. As soon as modern methods were introduced, in-troduced, and better carts or wagons became known, these primitive and cumbersome habits disappeared, although in the far interior even today to-day rollizos are still brought to market in this manner. "Durmientes," according to the Spani.-h or sleepers, in the Eng'ish idiom, are probably the most important product of the quebracho of the Argentine Republic. The Industry of making sleepers has assumed huge proportions. The difficulties of former days have been largely overcome by the introduction of modern machinery, especially saws, and some of the mills many miles distant from any main railway are equipped and organized in a manner which would reflect credit on any similar plant in the United States. Special saws are needed to penetrate the wood, but they are furnished from the factories of England. France, and America. This mill business is carried on by many companies, com-panies, although the tendency is to concentrate the management into fewer but larger organizations. organiza-tions. One company owns a tract of land of about i, 000, 000 acres, and is prepared to cut timber, fashion it into logs and sleepers, prepare tanning extract, and utilize every other resource which the land provides. Another company can turn out 20,000 to 30,000 sleepers a week. This number, however; how-ever; can by no means meet the steady demand for railway building which is characteristic of this portion of South America. Sleepers are laid at about an interval of two feet from center to center. cen-ter. Assuming, therefore, only 2,000 sleepers for every mile, it will be seen that 30.000 are enough for only. 15 miles. A year's supply at fullest capacity capac-ity will consequently build only 750 miles of railway. rail-way. But the Argentine Republic, Uruguay, Chile and Bolivia, all contiguous to the Chaco. are constructing con-structing more than this mileage, so that it Is easy to see that every sleeper turned out from modern mills can at once find a local market. These sleepers are now finished at the mill, and the mill is situated at the spot in the forest itself most convenient for currying on the process. Quebracho extract prepared for tanning skins portion not reserved for posts and sleepers, for -, - this extract. In Paraguay and areas in the Chaco remote from good roads, so that the cost of sup- plying timber is excessive, every particle of the wood is turned into extract, because the demand is usually in advance of the supply, and it is there- t fore more profitable to manufacture the more f concentrated article, which can be easier and more V economically carried to market. j One feature of quebracho, in which it is superior su-perior to other sources of supply, is that the bark, the sapwood, and the whole of the central part -of the tree produce the extract in considerable quantities. The bark contains 6 to 8 per cent, of i - tannin, the sap 3 to 5 per cent, and the heart 20 to 25 per cent. As the heart represents two-thirds and often three-fourths of the total quantity of wood, the amou.it of tannin in the Quebracho Colorado Colo-rado is seen tt be considerable. It is merely a chemical question whether this tanning material is equal or inferior to that from the oak, but later . i methods of preparation point to a full Justification of the claim that the leather from quebracho ex , . tract grades up to that resulting from any other tanning substance. So serviceable Is it, however, that Eince its discovery, the tanning industry of the Argentine Republic has made noticeable ad vance, because, with both hides and extract as great natural products of the country, the government govern-ment is making every effort to foster the leathei industry within its own border. "Quebracho extract," as it is called in the trade is easily manufactured when 'he machinery If once installed. All the wood is passed through a machine that cuts it into shavings or the small- v est possible chips. It is then collected into im- mense kettles, in which it is treated by chemical processes until all the tannin is removed; after ' this the fluid preparation is reduced by evaporation evapora-tion to a thick, jelly-like mass, which is poured into sacks, where it is finally dried into the substance sub-stance sold in commerce. The difficulty of gathering the raw materkU far outweighs the preparation of the finished article, especially as the extract is no longer to be considered con-sidered a by-product, but is coming to have more importance and value than posts and sleepers. In Paraguay particularly, where all the wood is utilized util-ized for extract, the hardest part of the business lies in gathering wood fr the factory. The trees are cut in the heart o. the virgin forest and hauled by ox teams to the nearest clearing. Only native Indians have proven themselves suitable for the work, as they are thoroughly acclimated, understand the wilderness, and can withstand thy plague of insects which make life at night miserable mis-erable for the foreigner; and exposure for nighis as well as days is unavoidable, because the cut-ling cut-ling stations are usually remote from any settlement. settle-ment. In 1SS5 the first real exportation of quebrf.cho extract from the River Plate was recorded. The increase has been rapid from 400 tons in the first year to 9.000 tons in 1!)02, 120,594 tons in the next five years, and 2S.195 tons in 1907. Of this quail- i tity the I'nlted States received 17,733 tons, or til- i most 05 per cent' ; i |