538 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



figure. Ebony is another such wood. It usually 

 has no figure, but it may be had in tones ranging 

 from black to green, and in many shades between 

 black and nearly white. Persimmon is ebony's 

 nearest relative in this country, but its wood seldom 

 has color enough to be valuable solely on account 

 of it. Ebony is esteemed on account of its great 

 strength and exceeding hardness, but if it is used 

 by American musical instrument makers, it is listed 

 under some other name, perhaps as ebony. 



Prima vera is often called white mahogany, 

 though it is not closely related to mahogany. Its 

 grain suggests the name. The tree grows near 

 the western coast of southern Mexico and further 

 south, and it has not been long on the market. It 

 is remarkable that the wood was offered for sale 

 in lumber yards in San Francisco and Cincinnati 

 before the existence of the tree was known to 

 botanists. In color the wood resembles the yellow 

 heartwood of the evergreen magnolia, the wood of 

 which has recently appeared in markets as "golden 

 mahogany of Louisiana." It is believed that several 

 woods are marketed as prima vera which are botani- 

 cally different. 



Furniture and musical instrument people value 

 Spanish cedar more on account of its pale red color 

 than for the slight figure it possesses. Cigar box 

 makers like it for the odor it has, but that has 

 nothing to do with its use elsewhere. The wood is 

 very soft. It comes from Mexico and the West 

 Indies, and it may be had in amounts as large as 

 wanted. 



Satinwood's yellow or brown color is responsi- 

 ble for most of its value. Several species from 

 America, Africa, and India are known as satin- 

 wood, but perhaps the only one entering into the 

 musical instrument industry is the tree from the 

 West Indies. In the Bahamas it is known as yel- 

 low wood. Its book name is Xanthoxylum flavum. 



The United States produces a number of finely 

 colored woods which are employed in this industry 

 to a greater or less extent. In quantity birch leads 



WOOD AND GOLD 



The harp maker has carried the use of 

 wood to the highest, perfection. The 

 sounding board and sounding body are of 

 spruce and maple, the rest of the instru- 

 ment being of metal. The metal parts of 

 the harp shown here are overlaid with 

 gold, the instrument being valued at $10,000 

 ITiis illustration was made particularly 

 large so that the beautiful detail work 

 in the design might be seen to better ad- 

 vantage. In selecting the spruce and ma- 

 ple for such a costly instrument as this, 

 much material of high grade must be re- 

 jected because only the most perfect wood 

 can be used (Photograph by courtesy of 

 The Rudolph WurliUer Company, Cincin- 

 nati, Ohio.) 



