HARDWOOD RECORD 



21 



Next to teak the ebonies of India and Burma are perhaps the most 

 important woods commercially. There are more than forty species 

 of the genus Diospyros, which are found in the East Indies and the 

 heartwood of a number of these trees forms the ebonies of commerce 

 used for ornamental purposes and for engraving and turnery. The 

 Coromandel wood or ebony (Diospyros melanoxylon) is to India what 

 the original ebony of commerce {Diospyros ebenum) is to Ceylon. 

 Coromandel ebony is found very plentiful throughout the southern 

 forests, seldom, however, of greater diameter than one foot. The 

 wood of a closely allied species (D. tomentosa) is also cut. and sold 

 as Coromandel wood, because the two timbers are very difficult to be 

 distinguished one from another, and for commercial purposes may be> 





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LARGE TE.\K LOG IN" BAMBOO FOREST 



considered as the same. The outturn of Coromandel wood is far 

 greater than that of the true or original ebony of Ceylon, and it can 

 be procured in large quantities throughout southern India. The 

 prices vary, according to the size of the heartwood. 



Andaman marble-wood or zebra-wood (Diospyros Tcureu) is another 

 species which is exploited more particularly in the Andaman Islands 

 and in Burma, where the tree attains a moderate size. The wood is 

 hard, heavy, strong, close and straight-grained, takes a very good 

 polish, but seasons with difficulty, and is liable to split. It weighs 

 about sixty pounds per cubic foot. The wood is used for making 

 fancy furniture, and a good deal of it is shipped to China and Japan 

 for ears-ing, picture frames, and walking sticks. It is rarely im- 

 ported directly into this country from the Andaman Islands, but 

 ■somes here as reshipments from the London and Liverpool markets. 



East India satinwood (Chloroxylon sicietenia) has already been re- 

 ferred to in the discussion of the available hardwoods of Ceylon in 

 the issue of June 2.5. The wood is exported to Europe chiefly from 

 Ceylon. The outturn of the Indian forests is very small. This wood 

 is quoted in the London markets at from sixteen to thirty cents per 

 board foot. 



Blackwood or rosewood (Daliergia latifolia) grows in the penin- 

 sula and northern parts of India in greater or less abundance. It 

 attains to an immense size, the trunk sometimes measuring five feet 

 in diameter, exclusive of the bark. It is one of the largest mountain 

 trees in India. The wood is 'very hard, heavy (about fifty pounds 

 per cubic foot), strong, and exceedingly tough. It takes a very good 

 polish and is used extensively for cabinet work, boat and ship-building, 

 agricultural implements, and for construction purposes. It is the 

 most valuable wood in southern India, and large quantities of it are 

 cut annually for export to England. ' Small shipments of this wood 

 come to this country through the London and Liverpool markets. 



The shisham rosewood {Dalhergia sissoo) is a closely related species 

 growing chiefly in the western Himalayas. Its timber is hard, strong 

 and heavy, a cubic foot weighing about forty-eight pounds. In ap- 

 pearance, when polished, it is little inferior to the blackwood, and is 

 used generally for the same purposes. It is exported less extensively 

 because there is a demand for it in India for use as cross-ties and 

 for various other economical purposes. 



Wuma tree or poon (Calophyllvm inophyllum) is a beautiful tree, 



which grows on the west coast of the peninsula. It yields a hard, 

 red, tough, moderately heavy (about forty pounds per cubic foot), 

 close-grained, and handsomely-veined wood, which resembles mahogany 

 in appearance and working. It is used extensively in India for 

 making furniture and it has recently been introduced into the Eng- 

 lish markets. This tree is closely allied to the Santa Maria (Calo- 

 phyllum calaba) of tropical America. The latter is now being intro- 

 duced into the American markets as a substitute for true mahogany! 

 Several other species of this genus are natives of India, but theii* 

 woods are not likely to reach the American markets for some time. 



Toon or red cedar (Cedrela toona) is not a coniferous wood, as 

 the name ' ' red cedar ' ' would indicate. It is a tree closely related 

 to the Spanish cedar (Cedrela odorata) of tropical America. This 

 tree is widely distributed throughout the East from western Jndia to 

 the Philippine Islands. It is one of the largest and most valuable 

 timber trees in the East Indies. The wood is of a dull rose-red color, 

 moderately hard, light (about twenty-eight pounds per cubic foot), 

 strong, tough, and takes a very good polish. The timber seasons 

 quickly, and is very durable in contact with the soil. It does not 

 warp or split, but is apt to expand and contract with the changes in 

 the temperature and moisture. The wood is used for making furni- 

 ture, interior finish of houses, boat building, tea chests and cigar 

 boxes. Like the cedar and mahogany in the West Indies, toon is 

 used for making the dugouts in the East Indies. It is said that 

 boats constructed out of this wood will last almost indefinitely. It 

 is quite probable that toon will be introduced into the American mar- 

 kets sooner or later to take the place of the rapidly-diminishing 

 supply of the Spanish cedar. 



Sandal wood (Santalum album) is a small tree from twenty to 

 twenty-five feet high, and is found chiefly in southern India. The 

 exports of sandal wood from Madras to Bombay, Bengal, Pegu and 

 the Persian Gulf are considerable. The wood is hard and fine- 

 gi'ained, and the best grades of it are used for some descriptions of 

 cabinet work and various carved ornamental articles, such as fans, 

 writing desks, work boxes, album covers, and many other articles. 

 But the chief characteristic of this wood is the remarkable odor. 



FLOATING LOGS DOWN STREAM 



which is due to the presence of a peculiar oil much used by the 

 natives of India as a perfume. The wood is used extensively for 

 burning the dead bodies of the rich in India. In its powdered state 

 it is employed by the Brahmins as pigments used in their distinguish- 

 ing marks. The oil forms the basis of many scents, and is sometimes 

 used for impregnating articles from common wood, and passed off 

 in the market as if manufactured from true sandal wood. 



For the first time in the history of the United States this country 

 stands first in exports. England long held that place among the 

 nations, but has finally reached the parting of the ways and surrenders 

 that leadership to America. For 1912 England's exports were worth 

 $2,435,000,000. those of the United States $2,460,000,000. Next after 

 England in amount of exports is Germany, while France is third, and 

 the Netherlands fourth. 



