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Use of JSdahogany by Industries 



Figures published by the government show that approximately 

 fifty million feet of mahogany a year go into various uses in the 

 "United States. This includes both lumber and veneer, and about 

 two-thirds of the total is veneer. 



As is generally known, the name mahogany is a general term 

 and is applied to woods of different kinds from various parts of 

 the world. Some of these are not mahogany and others are doubt- 

 ful; but it is not the purpose of this article to discuss the difEer- 

 ences or insist on precise definitions. What is listed as mahogany 

 in government reports is here aeccjited as such and considered ac- 

 cordingly. 



The principal sources of this wood are western Africa and 

 tropical America. Though most botanists deny that any mahogany 

 grows in Africa, dealers universally recognize and list certain of 

 the African woods as mahogany, and no useful purpose would be 

 served by calling those woods anything else. The same holds true 

 of certain Philippine woods, but the woods from those islands are 

 not yet in as wide use as those from Africa. So far as appearance 

 goes, they look like mahogany, and it is claimed that they possess 

 most if not all of mahogany 's desirable qualities. 



Mahogany's use is quite general, both geographically and among 

 the industries. The accompanying table lists only twenty states, 

 but this wood is used in twenty others, though in quite small 

 amounts. The table likewise gives the leading industries which 

 make use of the wood. Twelve are given, the largest being furni- 

 ture, and the smallest is picture frame molding. The other in- 

 dustries come between these extremes. More than a quarter of all 

 the mahogany brought to America is worked into furniture, while 

 musical instruments come second. 



Relatively few sawmills in this country cut mahogany. The mills 

 which do most of the sawing are in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Ohio. 

 The wood arrives in this country in the form of logs, sometimes 

 round, but generally hewed square. The squaring is done partly to 

 save weight and partly to be rid of sapwood that has little value. 

 The same process is followed whether the logs come from Africa 

 or tropical America. The wood is heavy and there is no economy 

 in paying transportation charges on wood that will be thrown away 

 after it arrives in this country, such as slabs. 



Great care is taken to prevent injury to the logs by teredoes 

 and other marine borers in tropical salt water, in which many logs 

 float before being placed on ships. The damage is done before the 

 logs leave the tropics; but instances are known where teredoes 

 were found still alive in the logs after their arrival in England 

 from Africa. "Sound wormy" mahogany is due to the work of 

 the teredo while the log lies in salt water, while "sound wormy" 



chestnut receives its perforations while the tree is standing. 

 Wormy mahogany is not often met with in this country, due prob- 

 ably to the caution of buyers in purchasing perfect logs. 



The most common imitation of mahogany is made with the heart- 

 wood of birch. It is by no means a perfect imitation, because the 

 minute figures of the two woods are not alike. Birch is stronger 

 than mahogany, and for that reason is often substituted in furni- 

 ture for those parts, like posts, rails, and spindles, which are likely 

 to receive greatest strain. 



The Modern Lumber Operation 



It is usually believed that the mammoth hardwood operations 

 situated in the heart of the woods and away from the abodes of 

 mankind have shown the greatest development in efficiency of 

 methods. Possibly that is true as far as equipment and the purely 

 manufacturing phases are concerned. The vital part of the lumber 

 business today, though, is the selling end. Here the closest appli- 

 cation of modern ideas, and the most thorough utilization of mer- 

 chandising opportunities is seen in the city operation. 



Scattered about through the country are many manufacturers 

 of hardwood lumber who, starting years ago on the outskirts of 

 small cities, have continued manufacturing on the old sites and as 

 the communities in which they are located grew they have been 

 literally enveloped by modern city activities. By reason of high 

 rentals, close and constant contact with modern commercial prac- 

 tices and usually increased cost of logs, these operators have been 

 compelled to watch every corner and utilize every means for in- 

 creasing the returns from their product. 



It is these men, usually, who have discovered the highest paying 

 merchandising wrinkles. Frequently a trifling change in the manu- 

 facture of a certain item here or there enables them to make it 

 fit into a specialized niche where a far better return could be 

 realized than were it marketed in the usual form through the usual 

 channels of outlet. They have developed in many cases specialized 

 delivery systems for local trade, which have worked out profitably 

 in the matter of returns. 



The mammoth operation is too busy cutting huge quantities of 

 standard boards to make profitable its delving into the highways 

 and byways in search of high-priced specialty lines. The average 

 big operation is too much engrossed with its serious problems of 

 production to have specialized intensely enough on the thorough 

 development of its sales. Many a small operation today is quietly 

 going ahead on a modern selling basis and could give pointers to 

 many of the big fellows which would mean added revenue. 



USE OF MAHOGANY BY STATES AND INDUSTRIES 



