4 BULLETIN 474, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



Redwood (now a rare trade name). 



Zipilote Colorado and zipilote negro (interior of Mexico). 



Acajou, acajou a nieubles, Uois d'acajou, and mahagon (French in Venezuela 

 and West Indies). 



Cedro cebolla (Colombia, S. A.). 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



At one time mahogany was believed to be a native only of the 

 region extending approximately from the northern boundary of 

 Costa Rica northward to Tampico in Mexico. It is now known, how- 

 ever, to extend from the extreme southern point of Florida to the 

 West India Islands, and along the Gulf coast in Mexico from Tam- 

 pico southward through Central America and into South America. 

 (See fig. 1.) Formerly it was very plentiful on the Island of Trini- 

 dad and along the coast of the mainland to Venezuela. It is common 

 in northeastern Colombia and Venezuela. In general,the small-leafed 

 species {Swietenia mahagoni) is found in Florida, the West Indies, 

 Central and South America, and elevated parts of Mexico. It is com- 

 mon at elevations of from 3,000 to 4,000 feet, where it grows slowly 

 but produces wood of the best quality. • The commercial distribution 

 of the large-leafed species {Swietenia macro phylla) is not so w y ell 

 known, but it seems to be most abundant in British Honduras and 

 along the coastal plains of southern Mexico. 



From 100 to 150 years are required for a mahogany tree to reach 

 merchantable size. It grows both on high dry ground and in low 

 moist situations. It is on the latter sites, in Mexico and Central 

 America, that the largest timber is produced. 



Both species have been planted experimentally in India, Burma, 

 Africa, and other tropical countries, first being introduced at the 

 Calcutta Botanic Garden toward the close of the eighteenth cen- 

 tury. Since 1865 its artificial extension over India, Burma, Anda- 

 man, and parts of east and west Africa has been fairly rapid. The 

 large-leafed species has been introduced into the Philippine Islands, 

 where it grows very rapidly, but the wood is soft and of an inferior 

 quality. 



Provisions are made in several Central and Soutn American coun- 

 tries within the natural range of mahogany to insure continuance of 

 the supply by requiring those who have timber concessions to plant 

 two mahogany trees for every mature one cut. This, however, has 

 been found not only unprofitable, but unnecessary, since natural re- 

 production on cut-over lands is usually good. At least one large tim- 

 ber company operating in the Republic of Colombia has for over 20 

 years faithfully carried out the terms of its contract by replanting 

 cut-over areas, but the results are not encouraging. Planted trees 

 often grow very slowly in comparison with those resulting from 

 natural seeding. 



