The High Maestro. 245 



into the moister woods. Its size approaches that of the Cedar, al- 

 though growing rarely to the same height, for it has a spreading 

 habit, yet 4-foot trees with 2000 feet of logs were met, and the av- 

 erage ran over 6OO to the tree. Cuban INIahogany, like Cuban Cedar 

 is considered better than Mexican and that of most other sources of 

 supply, bringing from 8 to 12 cents per foot in the log. Both these 

 species have an exceedingly durable heart, and unless damaged by 

 borers, the old dead and fallen trees, whose wood has weathered and 

 darkened similar to our Walnut, are even more valuable than the 

 living. 



Closely resembling the Mahogany in texture, color and quality of 

 "wood is a monster tree of the Leguminosae, with a bright red pod, 

 called Sabicu, a name applied elsewhere to a cogener of smaller 

 size. This Sabicu, Pithecolohium arbor eum (L.) Urb. reaches sizes 

 of over 6 feet in diameter and 175 feet in height. Being rather 

 branchy, its log contents measure hardly over 2500 feet at best, 

 and 1000 feet to the average. It is almost as common as the Cedar 

 itself, but apparently more confined to valleys, canyons and moister 

 •slopes. Attempts to introduce its wood in the New York market 

 have so far had small success, but in Habana it is fully appreciated, 

 and brings from $80 to $200 according to grades. It is evidently a 

 i'ast growing tree and hence of more open grain than mahogany, 

 •otherwise hardly less fit for fine furniture. It is also used in wagon 

 work. 



There are a number of these leguminous trees whose wood differs 

 very little and which have equal rights for consideration, being only 

 less common and of smaller size. Of these there should be mention- 

 •ed Sabicu Moruro — Peltophorum adnatum Grieseb; easily recog- 

 nized by its peculiar closely packed mimosaceous foliage with golden 

 hues. It grows to three feet diameter and is not unfrequent. Its 

 wood resembles that of the Mahogany even more closely than that 

 of the simple Sabicu. 



Another one of this group, ubiquitous and more frequent than 

 the preceding, is the Sabicu of the Bahamas, here called Jiqui or 

 JiQUE — Lysilovia Sabicu Benth., resembling in the bark our Shag- 

 bark Hickory so that by similarity of name and features it was soon- 

 est remembered. It seems to replace the Sabicu on the drier slopes 

 and attains good sizes even here, up to 4 feet diameter. Its wood 

 is darker and harder than Sabicu. 



A third species, usually smaller, hence with less of the dark heart 



