SPECIES OF WOODS. 



169 



age, 5 per cent. ; warps very little ; very 

 durable; genuine mahogany,, hard to 

 work; especially if grain is cross; some- 

 what brittle, and comparatively easy to 

 split, nails with difficulty; polishes and 

 takes glue well. 



Common Uses: Chiefly for cabinet- 

 making, furniture, interior finishes and 

 veneers. 



Remarks: Mahogany, now in great 

 demand in the American market for fine 

 furniture and interior trim comes from 

 the West Indies, Central America and 

 West Africa. The so-called Spanish 

 mahogany, the most highly prized va- 

 riety, came originally from the south of 

 Hayti. The Honduras Mahogany was 

 often called baywood. Botanically the 

 varieties are not carefully distinguished ; 

 in the lumber yard the lumber is known 

 by its sources. The Cuba wood can be 

 partly distinguished by the white chalk- 

 like specks in the pores and is cold to 

 the touch, while the Honduras wood can 

 be recognized by the black specks or lines 

 in the grain. Both the Honduras and 

 West India woods have a softer feel 

 than the African wood, when rubbed 

 with the thumb. The Cuba and St. Do- 

 mingo wood are preferred to the Hon- 

 duras, and still more to the African, but 

 even experts have difficulty in distin- 

 guishing the varieties. 



Spanish cedar, or furniture cedar 

 (Cedrela odorata) belongs to the same 

 family as mahogany and is often sold 

 for it. It is softer, lighter, and easier 

 to work. 



Radial Section, 

 life size. 



Tangential Section, 

 life size. 



