EXOGENOUS SERIES-BR04DLE4F WOODS. 125 



trees also differ in desirability. No two are alike. Beautiful 

 grain effects are often obtained in ' ' crotches ' ' or junctions 

 between trunk and branch, and such pieces bring high prices. 

 Mahogany is generally used as a veneer. Layers are glued 

 either to some central piece or " core " or else to one another. 

 The layers are arranged so as to cross one another's grain, 

 and results are usually thought to be more desirable than those 

 obtained from solid wood. Few woods glue better, and few 

 shrink or distort less when in place. ) 



" Spanish Cedar '\Cedrela odorata) is a broadleaf wood, and 

 not a conifer as is usually supposed. It is nearly related to, and 

 usually found and cut with, true mahogany. Lindley * divides 

 Cedrelecae into two sub-orders: Swietenias, including the true 

 mahoganies, and Cedrelas, with nine genera and twenty-five 

 species distributed over tropical Asia and America. 



Prima vera or white mahogany belongs to Bignoniaceas, 

 which also includes the catalpas. It grows in Mexico and 

 Central America, associated with true or red mahogany. Prima 

 vera resembles red mahogany even to the conspicuous pores so 

 characteristic of the latter wood. It differs only in color, a light 

 yellow that darkens with age. The characteristic color of 

 finished wood is golden yellow. It is difficult to obtain large 

 pieces of Prima vera free from worm holes. The wood is seen 

 in car finish, house trim and fine furniture where red mahogany 

 might otherwise be employed. 



* John Lindley, Treasury of Botany, p. 243, Part I; also see Gifford, 

 " Foresty and Irrigation," Vol. VIII, No. 4, p. 174; also Correspondence Messrs. 

 Wm. E. Uptegrove & Brother, New York City. 



Satinwood is hard, heavy, durable, close-grained, brittle and smooth like 

 boxwood. The pale yellow or cream-colored heartwood has a peculiar, fine, 

 satin-like appearance when polished. Trees are not large. The wood, which is 

 very costly and seldom used save in fine cabinet work and cdd sets of furniture, 

 is derived from several genera and localities. East Indian satin wood is from 

 Chloroxylon swietenia,* a relative of mahogany, and also Maba buxifolia, an 

 ebenacious tree. Bahama satinwood is probably also from the genus Maba. 

 Florida and West Indian satinwood come from Xanthoxylum caribaeum. The 

 botanical source of Tasmanian satinwood is unknown. 



* "Indian Forester," Vol. 28, pp. 341-343 and 410-411. 



