INTRODUCTION 



will be seen to increase and develop its characteristic arrange- 

 ment (Fig. 88). 



Although many woods display great individuality in their 

 characters, it must not be supposed that every wood can be 

 clearly described so that it may be recognized on sight. Amongst 

 a limited number of woods a description may suffice, but 

 the larger the variety, and the more numerous the species of 

 closely related woods, the more difficult their discrimination 

 becomes, and it is as well to define the limits which are set by 

 Nature in this respect. Just as the flowers of all species of 

 Ash-tree are modelled upon the same plan, so is their wood. 

 A few species of Ash may present some peculiarity, but most 

 are practically indistinguishable from other members of the 

 genus by the structure alone. The Common Elm cannot be 

 mistaken for the American or White Elm (Figs. 107-109), though 

 their structure proclaims their mutual relationship, but 

 sufficiently precise language cannot be found to describe the 

 difference between the wood of the latter and of the American 

 Rock Elm. Again, all the members of the Silky-Oak family 

 (Fig. 102) are sufficiently alike to be recognizable at a glance, 

 but in many orders it is difficult to discover two genera bearing 

 any resemblance to each other in their wood. 



Besides all this, it must be clearly stated that no varieties 

 such as are due to different conditions of growth, climate, locality 

 or other external conditions, can be distinguished by their struc- 

 ture. It is hardly possible to find language which will enable 

 a reader to tell Honduras from Tobasco Mahogany, or even 

 American from African Mahogany. There are characters which 

 strike the eye in the St. Domingo variety and distinguish it 

 from the others, but let any one attempt to put upon 

 paper a description which will enable a second person to tell 

 for certain which is which, and he will admit that the time is 

 not yet come to essay it. Nothing beyond the char- 

 acter of the species is attempted here, notwithstanding the 

 fact that upon the log as it comes to market there are often 

 indications of its origin. As these are for the most part 

 the outcome of the dressing by human hands, and so are subject 

 to alteration, they will be but lightly touched upon in the 

 descriptive portion of this book. 



XXVI 



