PRACTICAL MAHOGANY PLANTING 



*v. 





PROFESSIONAL foresters who are familiar with 

 -*- tropical forests and forestry are occasionally called 

 upon to furnish practical information in reference 

 to planting and cultivating mahogany trees, says the 

 Hardwood Record. The demand for mahogany lumber, 

 especially in the American markets, and the extensive 

 tracts of unused Innd suit- 

 able for growing the Ameri- 

 can mahoganies, serve as an 

 inducement to intelligent 

 landowners and corporations 

 to turn their attention to 

 these trees. For the produc- 

 tion of artificial groves, tim- 

 ber belts, and shade for 

 public roads mahogany is 

 pre-eminent over all other 

 varieties of tropical Ameri- 

 can timber trees. It is with- 

 out doubt among the most 

 profitable kind for forestry 

 purposes and is at the same 

 time one of the most widely 

 distributed of all tropical 

 evergreen trees. In its natu- 

 ral range it grows more or 

 Itii sparingly from Tampico 

 ni Mexico southward 

 through Central America 

 into South America and 

 through the principal islands 

 of the West Indies, includ- 

 ing the extreme southern 

 portion of the state of 

 Florida. 



Its natural range, however, 

 has been increased to the 

 south by planting. In the 

 Guianas, northern and east- 

 ern Brazil, the tree has been 

 planted in a small way, 

 chiefly for shade, and grows 

 remarkably well. In East 

 and West Africa small ex- 







-^A4^M 



GETTING MAHOGANY OUT OF THE GUATEMALA 

 JUNGLE FOR AMERICAN CONSUMPTION 



penmental plantations of the Cutting down a big mahogany tree in the jungle of Guatemala. 

 American mahogany have The lumberjacks were employed by an American, running a saw- 



also been successfully made, ''' %' ^^1'^' "^^' "^^ w^'^ ^'^'''lu^n^'? a i^V ""^ p^'T hogany, which grows up in 

 ;. . c* , fggj ^ mahogany were shipped to the United States via Puerto ^ : ^ ^ 



and in India it thrives equal- Barrios on the east coast, and New Orleans. a uniform stand and de- 



shade and ornamental uses. There are two distinct spe 

 cies of commercial mahoganies growing naturally in 

 tropical America. One is the Spanish or small-leafed 

 mahogany {Simetenia mahogni Jacq.) and the other is 

 the Mexican or large-leafed mahogany {Swictenia macro- 

 phylla King) . There is a third kind which some boatnists 



recognize as a distinct spe- 

 cies (Swietcnia humilis), but 

 this is a small tree and 

 grows only in the elevated 

 parts of Mexico. It has been 

 reported from Venezuela, 

 but its presence there seems 

 doubtful. The Spanish ma- 

 hogany is usually found 

 growing on the uplands and 

 well-drained areas. It has 

 small leaflets of a dull-green 

 color and an open crown. 

 The wood is hard, heavy, 

 compact, dark-colored, and 

 many of the logs exhibit 

 considerable figure. The 

 Mexican mahogany general- 

 ly grows in the lowlands 

 where the soil is not always 

 well-drained. It has large 

 leaflets of a glossy-green 

 color and a dense broad 

 crown. The wood is com- 

 paratively soft, light in 

 weight, and in color some- 

 what resembling Spanish 

 cedar. Only a small per- 

 centage of the logs show 

 figure, but the wood works 

 well and darkens with age 

 similar to the Spanish ma- 

 hogany. The Mexican ma- 

 hogany has the advantage 

 over Spanish mahogany be- 

 cause it grows nearly twice 

 as fast during the first 

 twenty years. For this rea- 

 son nearly all the plantations 

 consist of the Mexican ma- 





ly well and makes phenome- 

 nal height growth during the first two decades of its 

 existence. A great many fine trees are now growing in 

 parts of India, Ceylon, and the Sunda Islands. In fact, 

 plantations have been made in the Philippines and also 

 in the Fiji Islands with evident success. Thus far in 

 tropical America mahogany has been planted to a very 

 limited extent for the timber, to a greater extent for 



velops long, clear boles. 

 The Mexican variety is by far better adapted to widely 

 varying conditions and gives very good results. It will 

 grow in many localities outside of its natural range of 

 growth without appreciably affecting its form and rate 

 of growth. The most favorable range for economic 

 planting is in the fertile valleys and moist slopes of hills 

 and mountains in any part of tropical America. On 



