Editing Jari project (section)

===Growth===
Ludwig selected the fast-growing tropical tree ''[[Gmelina arborea]]'' for his tree farm. At first he considered locating his tree farm in [[Costa Rica]] but the Brazilian military government encouraged him to settle on the lower reaches of the [[Rio Jari]], a tributary of the [[Amazon River]]. In 1967, Ludwig bought 1.6 million acres (6,475&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) for $3 million.

Ludwig controlled the project mainly from the United States. He built a settlement, [[Monte Dourado]], with houses, schools, the only hospital in the area, bakery, supermarket, nurseries, bridges and community buildings. He also built roads and railways. The clearing of the land using heavy bulldozers damaged the [[topsoil]] the trees were to be planted in. It became necessary to employ local workers instead for land clearing. Removing the forest cover allowed sunshine to harden the lateritic soil. Gmelina turned out to grow crooked stems, which were very hard to load onto trucks. Also, the new trees were damaged by the numerous insects living in the area of the Amazon. [[Pinus radiata]] was planted on the sandier river-bottom soils.

Other settlements, the "free cities" of [[Beiradão]] and [[Beiradinho]], grew up across the river to provide services not contemplated by the American planners. In its heyday, the Jari Project had 35,000 workers.

Ludwig had also commissioned two large ship-shaped platforms that were built in Japan and floated to the Jari Project. One barge module contained the pulping sector of the pulp mill. This module housed the [[Kraft process|digesting]], the [[Kraft process|brown stock]], the [[Kraft process|bleach plant]], and the [[pulp machine]]. The second module housed the [[recovery boiler]], the [[evaporator]]s and the [[recaust]]. The pulp mill barge was finished in 1978 and launched on 1 February. It traveled through the Indian Ocean and around the Cape of Good Hope, arriving at the Brazilian city of [[Munguba]] on 28 April. The power group module arrived four days later. Both barges were floated into specially built locks. Hundreds of gum wood piles had been driven into the ground to support the two barges. By closing the locks and pumping the water out, the barges gently settled on the many piles.

It was found that the growth rate of the Gmelina wood was much lower than that predicted and anticipated. To satisfy the demand of the pulp mill production it became necessary to purchase other species of wood from other Brazilian sources. Beginning in 1981 the foresters planted [[Eucalyptus]] as they harvested the Gmelina. [[Eucalyptus]] tested well for pulping, grew quite well and reduced the demand on purchased wood from other sources.