Locality: St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

Abstract: St. Croix's trees have been economically important since the Europeans first arrived to the Caribbean. During the Spanish and French ownership of St. Croix, little colonization or agriculture occurred on St. Croix. However, the dense forests attracted teams of woodcutters who harvested the dense forest for ship repairs, and for timber to export to other islands. However, after 1696, the French virtually abandoned St. Croix and the island remained largely unoccupied until the Danes purchased the island in 1733.

This interval permitted the uninterrupted growth of hardwood forests and this abundance of natural resources, in addition to the friendly terrain of St. Croix, convinced the Danish government to buy the island from the French. The forests filled with valuable timber caused much comment recorded in the histories from the era: "Large trees... grew abundantly on all sides, covering the plains on St. Croix's south side and the mountains to the north in a dense greenery

Reunert Haagensen, writing in the mid 1700's notes, On this island there are numerous forests containing very large trees that are both useful and pleasant to see... everyone uses as much wood as required by his own needs, namely for the construction of storage buildings, slave dwellings and other essentials. The remainder of the wood and bush is burned in order to clear the land and prepare it for agricultural use. The amount of valuable timber and rare trees that were destroyed by fire and by the ax when the Danes initially started to develop the island for agriculture is incredible.

However, Haagensen continued: There were some, however, who purchase plantations with the sole aim of trading the timber. Then after the prime timbers have been cut they sell the property to someone else who wants to cultivate sugar or cotton. But plantations such as these cannot be located far from the sea inasmuch as the slaves and beasts of burden would have too far to haul the products to /hose points that are best suited for shipping. Many persons have realized considerable sums of money from such tracts of land, making it possible for them to live on the island in wealth. ...

Everyone sought the riches there just to make money by selling the timbers ... shipments of timber are sold at high prices year after year,. Since there is such a lack of timber in the English possessions, Englishmen have to pay high prices for It. Consequently, they look for it in other places, principally in St. Croix as being the closest and best source in that part of America. So it is that the most beautiful houses in the English islands, namely St. Christopher, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Marten, Tortola and others are a witness to this timber trade. Likewise, the majority and better quality of windmills and horse mills are constructed from the same St. Croix timber.

Haagensen continues .. . the many rare trees that are found in such quantities there. They have all kinds of names, such as Mahogany, ... Fustick (fustic), and Pockwood (Lignum vitae). Not a great deal of this wood has been burned because anyone who clears his forest either lets the wood lie to the side or leaves it standing. In a forest, such trees are considered practically as good as money in the bank ...".

Acknowledgements: Funded in part by the Virgin Islands Humanities Council.

References:
Kessler, B. 1980. Priceless Heritage.History and Lore of Estate St. George, Home of the St. George Botanical Garden of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. Frederiksted, 35 p.

Tyson, G. and Arnold Highfield, eds. 1994. The Kamina Folk: Slavery and Slave Life in the Danish West Indies. (Christiansted: Antilles P) 264 p.

Highfield, Arnold R. and Vladimir Barac, eds. 1987. A Caribbean Mission (translation). New York, New York.

Jones, Kenneth D. 1995. Native Trees for Community Forests: A Guide to Landscaping with the Native Trees of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. George Village Botanical Garden, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. p. 124.