The land through which we drove
to-day is covered with trees of various kinds; large forests exist on
the eastern side of the Calchaqui, bordering the river for its entire
length; the trees of these forests are chiefly Algarrobo the wood of
which is not unlike our walnut in appearance, but extremely hard; in
days to come this timber will be used in great quantities for making
parquet flooring. It seems almost incredible that the city of Buenos
Aires should import millions of square metres of ready-made parquet
flooring when the Argentine produces magnificent timber of far more
suitable and better wearing quality for the purpose than any used in
imported parquet. As we have journeyed eastward, trees have become much
more numerous, and splendid timber is to be seen on every side. Most
numerous amongst the trees is the Quebracho Colorado, which supplies one
of the hardest timbers the world produces. The trees have a peculiar
appearance, for their leaves are quite small and the trunks have a rough
bark from which often hangs moss-like lichen, of which, by the way,
cattle are very fond. The photo on the opposite page gives a general
idea of a tree's appearance.
The wood, which is light in colour when first cut, becomes dark red upon
being exposed to light and weather, and it is intensely hard.
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