148  SELLING  LATIN  AMERICA

Virgin  forests  are  numerous;  in  fact  they
exist  throughout  Central  America.  There  is
an  abundance  of  pine,  oak,  many  natural  hardwoods, ­
  such  as  ironwood,  and  mahogany,
plenty  of  cedar,  and  a  host  of  ideally  grained
cabinet  woods,  susceptible  of  high  polish.
Log-wood,  dividivi,  quebracha,  and  other
trees  furnish  dye  woods.  Throughout  these
countries  grows  the  Peruvian  balsam  from
which  the  well  known  balsam  of  commerce
comes.  There  are  rubber  trees.  Much  of
the  chicle  from  which  chewing-gum  is  made
comes  from  these  lands,  as  well  as  other  gums
of  a  medicinal  nature.
Banana  growing  has  done  much  to  bring
prosperity  to  Costa  Rica,  Guatemala,  Nicaragua, ­
  Honduras  and  Panama  and  the  chances
are  that  this  industry  will  become  the  chief
one  of  all  these  countries,  along  their  lowlands, ­
  which  are  so  well  adapted  to  the  propagation ­
  of  this  fruit  now  so  much  in  demand.
As  an  evidence  of  the  growth  of  this  business ­
  and  what  it  means  to  these  localities,  let