AMERICAN FOREST TREES 465 



conditions only here and there. As such, the trunk and thin crown 

 look like a forest grown butternut tree in Wisconsin. It is abundant in 

 yards and along streets, where it is often called Chinaball tree. A little 

 of the wood is used. The color resembles mahogany, but the texture is 

 much coarser. Annual rings are clearly marked by rows of large pores, 

 and the wood does not polish well. It is sometimes known as pride of 

 India, which country is its native home, or it was carried there from 

 Persia at an early date. A variety, commonly known as the Texas 

 Umbrella tree (Melia azedarach umbraculifera) , has been widely planted, 

 and is known by its short trunk and dense, round crown. 



SOAPBEERY (Sapindus saponaria) , known also as false dogwood, is 

 a species of south Florida, and is one of three soap trees in this country. 

 It has no family kinship with mahogany, but the appearance of the trees 

 leads some persons to conclude that they are related to the China tree. 

 In fact, one of the species is locally known as wild China and Chinaberry. 

 They are called soap trees because their fruit has a property which causes 

 water to fo^m, and the natives of the West Indies once used it for soap. 

 The botanical name Sapindus means ' ' Indian soap. ' ' The tree is twenty- 

 five or thirty feet high, and ten or twelve inches in diameter. The bloom 

 appears in November in Florida, and the fruit ripens the following 

 spring. The wood is heavy, rather hard, and is light brown, tinged with 

 yellow. It reaches largest size on the Thousand Islands, Florida. 

 Another species is Sapindus tnarginatus which attains size similar to that 

 of the first. It is found in southern Florida, but is not abundant. It 

 grows as far north as the mouth of the St. John river. A third species is 

 Sapindus drummondi which has its range from western Louisiana, 

 Arkansas, and southern Kansas, through Texas, New Mexico, and 

 Arizona, to Mexico. The flowers appear in May and June, and the fmit 

 ripens in September and October, but it hangs on the trees until the 

 following spring. When first ripe, it is half an inch in diameter, and 

 yellow, but when it dries it turns black. Trees attain diameters up to 

 two feet, and heights of forty or fifty. It is commonly supposed to be 

 the Chinaberry, by persons who judge by general appearances, but the 

 two are not related. The wood's appearance suggests the heartwood of 

 ash. It probably reaches its best development in Texas where it is 

 manufactured into boxes, crates, and even furniture, but not in large 

 amounts. It is reputed to be a rapid grower, and it may be under the 

 most favorable circumstances, but it is usually of rather slow growth. 

 The wood splits readily into thin strips which are employed in making 

 baskets for harvesting cotton. In western Texas it is made into pack 

 saddle frames. 



MOUNTAIN MAHOGANY (Cercocarpus ledifolius) is not a mahogany, and is not 



