CHAPTER XXV. 



WEST INDIA AND CENTRAL AMERICA. 



MAHOGANY, SPANISH (Swietenid), 



Is the produce of the island of Cuba, and is indiscrimi- 

 nately called the Spanish or Cuba Mahogany. It is a 

 tree of perfectly straight growth, and yields timber for the 

 market of from 1 8 to 35 feet in length, by from li to 24 

 inches, dressed quite square, and generally with two or 

 three stops or joggles, with the view to preserve as much 

 timber as possible in the stem of the tree. ( Vide Fig. 24.) 



FIG. 24. 



The wood is of a reddish-brown colour, hard, heavy, 

 strong, close and straight in the grain, with occasionally 

 a wavy or figured appearance ; it is also very solid, 

 especially about the centre, or pith, the heart-shake in 

 this variety of the Swietenia being quite insignificant ; 

 the cup and star-shakes are also rare, and there is little 

 sap-wood ; so that it need not give us any anxiety in 

 dealing with it, whatever may be the, nature of the con- 

 version required. It is susceptible of a very high polish, 

 and with the wave or figure well marked, it possesses 



