258 TIMBER AND TIMBER TREES. [chap. 



E. botryoides, E. resinifera, E. pilularis, E. rohusta, &c.) 

 are known as Mahogany in Australia. 



MAHOGANY, SPANISH {Swietetiia Mahogatii), 



is the produce of a large Cedrelaceous tree found in 

 Central America, Mexico, and the island of Cuba, and 

 others of the West Indies, and is indiscriminately called 

 the Spanish or Cuba Mahogany. It is a tree of perfectly 

 straight growth, and yields timber for the market of 

 from i8 to 35 feet in length, by from 11 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. 26). 



Z: 



FIG. 26. 



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 

 great beauty ; indeed, if worked up for furniture, or used 

 for any ornamental purposes whatever, we cannot fail to 



