BIRCH MAHOGANY 357 



The Hondurus mahogany is Hghter, opened grained and more 

 uniform in color; almost devoid of figuring or curl. There are 

 black specks or lines in the grain, which are characteristic only 

 of that variety. It is valuable, where a sound straight timber 

 free from all. tendencies to warp is required. Alkalies are often 

 applied to this, especially to the lighter colored wood, in order to 

 deepen the shade, and in this way it often replaces the better 

 grade of wood. 



The logs are often forty feet long and from two to three feet 

 square. They are obtained from the low, moist land and are 

 generally soft and coarse. This variety is used as a foundation 

 on which to veneer the finer varieties, and from its spongy nature 

 it is admirably suited for this purpose, for the reason that the pores 

 aid the glue in adhering thereto. Aside from this, it finds a large 

 use in pattern making, small turning work and shipbuilding. 

 The trees growing in the North, near the Mexican border are 

 much richer, more dense and solid than the lowland timber. 



Some authorities have supposed the Hondurus to be a different 

 species from the Spanish, because of its lighter color as well as the 

 porous texture; but it is now believed that these differences arise 

 from the different situations in which the trees are foimd. 



In Mexico, the mahogany tree attains its greatest dimensions. 

 Squared logs of from forty to forty-eight inches are infrequently 

 obtained, although the average are from fifteen inches to three 

 feet, cut in lengths of from eighteen to thirty feet, for convenience 

 in shipping. The wood in general is plain and somewhat soft 

 at the core, resembling the swamp variety of the Hondurus wood; 

 although timber grown on the upland provinces, especially To- 

 basco, is firm, solid, and not unfrequently richly figured. 

 The Discovery of Mahogany 



A carpenter on Sir Walter Raleigh's ship is credited as being 

 the first person to have noticed the superior qualities of the wood. 

 He was attracted to it because of its great beauty, hardness and 

 durability. Dr. Gibbons, a physician of London, in 1720, was 

 presented with several planks brought from the West Indies. 

 He employed a cabinet-maker named Wallaston, to construct some 

 small articles from this wood, and dating from that time it has been 

 highly cherished as a cabinet wood, due to its soundness, large 

 size, uniform grain, durability, beauty of color, richness of figure, 

 which is improved by age, and the ability to take a high polish. 



