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Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



July 25. 1921 



Half of Mahogany Imports Come from Central 

 America 



"The relative importance of Central American mahogany in 

 the world supply of this wood is indicated by statistics showing 

 that it constitutes approximately one-half of all the mahogany 

 imported into the United States," says a circular on "Lumber Mar- 

 kets in Central America," prepared by the Latin American Divi- 

 sion of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. The cir- 

 cular continues: "The quantity and value of the imports of this 

 commodity from Central America in the last three calendar years 

 and the percentage going to the United States, appear in the fol- 

 lowing table; 



Percent of 

 total imports 

 going to 

 Years M feet Value United States 



1918 22,971 $2,170,012 52 



1919 18,556 1,920,570 43 



1920 26,534 3,001,279 50 



The circular also makes a statement relative to varieties of 

 hardwoods in Central America: "Mahogany is only one of numer- 

 ous varieties of hardwoods found in Central America. Samples 

 20 of these woods are in the collection of the Pan American Union 

 in Washington, and from these samples the following list of names 

 and descriptions has been compiled: 



Species Description 



Balsam wood Light red color, with narrow stripes. 



Black heart Pale yellow with deep brown stripe. 



Cedar Light red. 



Diablo muerte Dull brown. 



Ebony Black. 



Fumara Brown, grained. 



Granadillo Dark reddish brown. 



Cranuda Yellow with dark brown markings. 



Cuachipilin Light red and yellow. 



Cuayacan or iron wood Black and yellow. 



Logwood Dark reddish brown. 



Madre cacao Medium red. 



Mahogany Red, varying in color and grain ac- 

 cording to soil, elevation, and cli- 

 matic conditions. 



Matazanillo Yellow. 



Palete Medium brown. 



Pimentilla Tan with reddish brown stripe. 



Pimienta Yellow with red stripe. 



Quebracho (break-hatchet) . . Medium brown, striped. 



Ron-ron Dark red mottled with black. 



Royal palm Light brown with streaks of dark 



brown. 



"The soil and climate in British Honduras favor the rapid growth 

 of mahogany, but the wood is lighter in weight and color than that 

 grown on high ground in dry regions. The annual rings of growth 

 are often lacking in the trees of British Honduras, but the species 

 is straight grained, free from knots, and well adapted to inside con- 

 struction work. 



**Costa Rica has many varieties of timber that furnish material 

 for most of the local building and furniture. The native cabinet- 

 makers are skilled in their use of mahogany and cedar. Exports 

 of hardwoods constitute one of the most important items of trade, 

 but this industry has been limited by the inaccessibility of many 

 of the forests. Quantities of mahogany grow near the San Carlos 

 River, whose natural outlet is on the Atlantic side, where shipment 

 has proved difficult. Shippers in Puntarenas collect their logs 

 from small producers, who cut and haul a few trees to market from 

 time to time. 



"In 1 920 concessions covering large areas of public timberland 

 were granted individual citizens of Costa Rica, with the privilege 

 of cutting timber at a fixed price per tree. Regulations were pub- 

 lished specifying that for every mature tree cut, two saplings of the 

 same kind "were to be planted, to prevent the depletion of the for- 

 ests. These concessions were not granted to foreigners, but there 

 appeared to be no restriction on the grantee disposing of his con- 

 cession to a foreigner, and, in fact, American capital will operate 

 a number of these concessions. One serious drawback in the view 

 of the capitalists is the restriction of the grants to five years, which 

 does not justify extensive preparation for operation on a large 

 scale. 



The principal hardwoods of Guatemala are mahogany, cedar 

 and two species known as marillo and cericero: many other varie- 

 ties exist in small quantities in more or less inaccessible places. 

 The Peten section of the country, where most of the fine woods 

 are located, is largely unexplored and lacking in transportation 

 facilities. 



J. E. Hamacheck. Sr., of Two Rivers. Wis., widely known as an 

 inventor of woodworking and other special machinery, has com- 

 pleted working models of a new machine designed for routing and 

 carving. It is so built that it will rout or carve duplicate pieces 

 in one operation and has high speed, being equipped with an elec- 

 tric motor of 20,000 r. p. m. There is provision both for hand 

 and power feed. The machine is capable of cutting or carving 

 the most intricate designs of straight or irregular shape and may 

 also be used for grooving and carving, as in furniture and chair 

 factories. Mr. Hamacheck intends to dispose of the shop rights 

 on a royalty basis, retaining ownership of the patents. 



New Million Dollar Piano Plant 



Pictured here is the $1,000,000 plant of the Baldwin and Elling- 

 ton Piano Company, Cincinnati, O., ■which has just been completed 

 and will be dedicated in the fall. That section of the plant right 

 of the tower will be occupied by the Ellington Company and to the 

 left by the Baldwin Piano Company. The main Ellington works 

 are in the rear of the new plant, which faces the entrance to Eden 

 Park. The plant is being equipped with all modern machinery and 

 will be in operation by August 1. Lockwood and Greene, engineers 

 of Chicago, designed the building, while the construction work was 

 done by the Ferro Concrete Construction Company of Cincinnati. 

 Shipping facilities are excellent, as the main line of the Cincinnati. 

 Lebanon and Northern Railroad passes between the main Ellington 

 works and the new plant. 



The Last Word in Piano Plants 



