Report of the governor general of the Philippine Islands. [1908]

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF FORESTRY. 165
MUSEUM AND HERBARIUM COLLECTIONS.
The museum at the close of the last fiscal year contained 826 numbers of
wood samples, with 2,409 duplicate hand specimens for distribution. This year
there have been added 1,459 numbers, and the museum, therefore, contains a
total of 2,285 numbers. While a large number of duplicate hand specimens
have been distributed, yet a larger number have been added, so that there are
now in the museum 5,803 small samples ready for distribution. The number
of species on hand at the close of last year was 336; there have been added
this year 150, making a total of 486. With the aid of the bureau of science,
by means of the wood and botanical specimens, the bureau of forestry has
acquired the proper identification of a large number of arboreal species, including nearly all of the principal timbers found in the Manila market. However, the wood collections are far from being completed. Many unknown woods
still come to the bureau for identification. As there are no authentic specimens of these, it is not possible to classify them. The recent demand of the
railway companies for very durable timbers for railway ties is rapidly
dimishing the supply of such woods as molave, ipil, yacal, and others.
Many timbers of which little is known are, therefore, thrown on the market
as substitutes. Some of these are apparently as good as those for which they
are substituted, but others are undoubtedly inferior. Many such substitutes
are brought to this bureau for identification, and in some instances can not be
determined because authentic specimens are not in the present wood collection.
Such collections will be made as soon as possible.
Ever since its organization the bureau of forestry has endeavored to increase
the knowledge of the forest flora of the Philippine Islands by collecting specimens for the herbarium of the bureau of science. Up to July 1, 1907, there
had been collected a total of 10,020 sheets. During the present fiscal year
there have been turned over to the bureau of science 4,089 numbers, which
make a total of 14,109 sheets credited to the bureau of forestry in the herbarium of the bureau of science. It is not too much to say that a large part
of our knowledge concerning the scientific identity of the forest trees is based
upon these collections. This work of identification, in charge of the botanist
of the bureau of science, has progressed almost as rapidly as the collections
have been deposited. In some instances the specimens have been sent to European specialists. There are at present more than 2,000 native tree species
listed in the herbarium.
Some idea of the complexity of the forest can be had by comparison. The
whole of North America north of Mexico contains approximately 640 tree species. The Philippine Islands, about equal in area to the territory of Arizona,
probably contains three to four times this number. On the Lamao forest reservation alone embracing approximately 17 square miles, there have been collected
548 tree species, or nearly as many as there are in North America north of
Mexico.
It is planned to continue during the coming year the collections of wood
and herbarium specimens. This work, as in the past, will be carried on in connection with the mapping and with the collections of forest data. The intention
is to have as complete collections as possible from each province, so that the
geographical distribution of the timber trees especially will be better known and
that there will be on hand in the museum of this bureau wood samples of all
species.
NOTES ON THE FOREST AND TREES IN THE FOREST.
In connection with the mapping of forest and other land areas and the accumulation of data for preliminary working plans an effort has been made to
classify the forest types and to locate and estimate the stand of the principal
bodies of timber, with a view to setting aside such tracts as forest reserves.
Again, for some years the bureau has been collecting data concerning the
characteristics of trees. This includes tree descriptions and silvicultural habits.
The data collected are now being compiled for publication.
Foresters in both the divisions of investigation and administration have
collected notes of various kinds concerning forest products. A large number
of these have been prepared under headings suitable for cataloguing and filing.
These add materially to our knowledge of the forest products of the islands.