MAHOGANY-TREE. 129 
colour of the foliage of the mahogany is of a reddish-yellow, and is an unerring 
guide to the woodman in distinguishing it from that of other trees. At these 
periods the labourers are actively employed in felling the trees, conveying them 
on wheels to the rivers, or precipitating them into the streams which are to for- 
ward them to their places of shipment. The trees are usually cut about twelve 
feet above the ground, and a stage is erected for the axeman to stand upon to 
perform this work. The trunk of the tree, from its size, is deemed the most val- 
uable ; but for ornamental purposes, the branches or limbs are generally pre- 
ferred, being of a much closer grain, and the veins are more rich and variegated. 
Hence, to avoid injury by the fall of the whole tree at once, they are removed 
separately. The wood felled between February and September is very liable to 
crack in seasoning ; but to avoid this it should be immersed as soon as possible 
into deep water, and remain until it is ready to be shipped-. 
The billes or logs of mahogany which are shipped from Campeachy and Hon- 
duras are usually from ten to fifteen feet in length, and three, four, or five feet 
deep ; those from St. Domingo are from seven to ten feet long, and fifteen to 
twenty-five inches deep ; and those from Cuba are from twelve to eighteen feet 
long, and the same number of inches deep. 
To test the soundness of mahogany, closely examine the ends of the logs by cut- 
ting into them with an axe, or some other instrument, and if there be any signs 
of decay, it will at once be detected. The following mode has also been resorted 
to with success. Let one individual place his ear close to the end of the log to 
be examined, and another person slightly touch the opposite end with the 
point of a pin or needle. If the wood be sound, the touch of the needle will be 
distinctly heard by the person with his ear at the log, while the individual at the 
opposite end, who performs with the needle, may not hear it. If the wood be in 
a state of decay, the touch of the needle will not be heard. 
Properties, Uses, <fy*c. The wood of the mahogany-tree varies in its weight, 
texture, and grain, according to the nature of the soil and situation in which it 
grows. On rocky and mountainous places it is of a smaller size, heavy, of a 
close grain, and beautifully shaded ; while the product of low and rich lands is 
observed to be more light and porous, of a paler colour and open grain ; and that 
of mixed soils holds a medium between the two. The mahogany which is 
accessible in Honduras grows upon moist land, and is, generally speaking, de- 
cidedly inferior to that of Cuba and St. Domingo, being soft, coarse, spongy, 
and weighing, when dry, only thirty-five to forty pounds to a cubic foot, while 
the other is hard, close-grained, of a darker colour, sometimes strongly figured, 
and weighs, when dry, from fifty-four to sixty-six pounds to a cubic foot. Hon- 
duras mahogany has, however, the advantage of holding glue admirably well,, 
and for this reason is frequently used as a ground on which to lay veneers of 
finer woods. The trees which are grown on the Bahama Islands are not so 
large as those of the warmer parts of America, but are more curiously veined, or 
mottled, and are known in England by the name of Madeira-wood. 
The colour of mahogany is a reddish-brown, of different shades, and various 
degrees of brightness ; sometimes yellowish-brown, often much veined and mot- 
tled with darker shades of the same colour. The texture is not uniform, and the 
concentric layers are not always distinct. It has not much taste nor smell, 
shrinks but a very little, and warps and twists less, perhaps, than any other kind 
of timber. It is durable, when kept dry, but does not last long when exposed 
to the alternations of moisture and dryness. There are several varieties of 
mahogany, much admired, and sought after, for the beauty of their figures, and 
the gradations of their colours, which may be described as follows : 
1. Plain Mahogany. Acajou uni of the French, the wood of which is of one. 
colour, and equal throughout. 
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