MAHOGANY-TREE. 129 



colour of the foliage of the mahogany is of a reddish-yellow, and is an unerring 

 guide to the woodman in distinguishing it from- that of other trees. At tliese 

 periods the labourers are actively employed in felling the trees, conveying them 

 on wheels to the rivers, or precipitating them into the streams which are to for- 

 ward them to their places of shipment. The trees are usually cut about twelve 

 feet above the ground, and a stage is erected for the axeman to stand upon to 

 perform this work. The trunk of the tree, from its size, is deemed the most val- 

 uable ; but for ornamental purposes, the branches or limbs are generally pre- 

 ferred, being of a much closer grain, and the veins are more rich and variegated. 

 Hence, to avoid injury by the fall of the whole tree at once, they are removed 

 separately. The wood felled between February and September is very liable to 

 crack in seasoning; but to avoid this it should be immersed as soon as possible 

 into deep ^v^er, and remain until it is ready to be shipped. 



The billef 6x logs of mahogany which are shipped from Campeachy and Hon- 

 duras are usually from ten to fifteen feet in length, and three, four, or five feet 

 deep ; those from St. Domingo are from seven to ten feet long, and fifteen to 

 twenty-five inches deep ; and those from Cuba are from twelve to eighteen feet 

 long, and the same number of inches deep. 



To test the soundness of mahogany, closely examine the ends of the logs by cut- 

 ting into them with an axe, or some other instrument, and if there be any signs 

 of decay, it will at once be detected. The following mode has also been resorted 

 to with success. Let one individual place his ear close to the end of the log to 

 be examined, and another person slightly touch the opposite end with the 

 point of a pin or needle. If the wood be sound, the touch of the needle will be 

 distinctly heard by the person with his ear at the log, while the individual at the 

 opposite end, who performs with the needle, may not hear it. If the wood be in 

 a state of decay, the touch of the needle will not be heard. 



Properties, Uses. 6^c. The wood of the mahogany-tree varies in its weight, 

 texture, and grain, according to the nature of the soil and situation in which it 

 grows. On rocky and mountainous places it is of a smaller size, heavy, of a 

 close grain, and beautifully shaded ; while the product of low and rich lands is 

 observed to be more light and porous, of a paler colour and open grain ; and that 

 of mixed soils holds a medium between the two. The mahogany which is 

 accessible in Honduras grows upon moist land, and is, generally speaking, de- 

 cidedly inferior to that of Cuba and St. Domingo, being soft, coarse, spongy, 

 and weighing, when dry, only thirty-five to forty pounds to a cubic foot, while 

 the other is hard, close-grained, of a darker colour, sometimes strongly figured^ 

 and weighs, when dry, from fifty-four to sixty-six pounds to a cubic foot. Hon- 

 duras mahogany has, however, the advantage of holding glue admirably well^ 

 and for this reason is frequently used as a ground on which to lay veneers of 

 finer woods. The trees which are grown on the Bahama Islands are not so 

 large as those of the warmer parts of America, but are more curiously veined, or 

 mottled, and are known in England by the name of Madeira-wood. 



The colour of mahogany is a reddish-brown, of different shades, and various 

 degrees of brightness ; sometimes yellowish-brown, often much veined and mot- 

 tled with darker shades of the same colour. The texture is not uniform, and the 

 concentric layers are not always distinct. It has not much taste nor smell, 

 shrinks but a very little, and warps and twists less, perhaps, than any other kind 

 of timber. It is durable, when kept dry, but does not last long when exposed 

 to the alternations of moisture and dryness. There are several varieties of 

 mahogany, much admired, and sought after, for the beauty of their figures, and 

 the gradations of their colours, which may be described as follows : 



1. Plain Mahogany. Acajou tini of the French, the wood of which is of one 

 colour, and equal throughout. 



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