29, BULLETIN 474, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
pecially abundant in mahogany grown in dry, rocky soils as, for 
example, in Florida and Cuba. 
Pith rays are from 1 to 4 cells in width, and from a few to 20 
or more cells in height. The individual cells of the pith rays are 
generally rectangular in form and radially elongated, as seen in 
transverse and radial sections. The upper and lower rows (marginal 
cells), however, are elongated in the longitudinal direction. These 
marginal cells have thinner walls and less numerous pits than the 
other cells of the pith ray. Pith-ray cells have thin walls and pos- 
sess only round simple pits. The pits, except where they are in con- 
tact with vessels, are large and simple, cften slightly bordered. They 
are most numerous in the end walls. All the cells of the pith rays 
contain an abundance of reddish-brown coloring matter. 
To determine the average length of the wood fibers of true mahog- 
any and the effect of different climatic and soil conditions upon their 
iength, samples of mahogany from the six regions were selected for 
examination under the compound microscope. The material was 
macerated by means of Schultze’s maceration mixture, and the fibers 
measured. From these data averages were computed. 
One hundred fiber measurements were taken from each individual 
block, and their averages computed, with the results shown in Table 
1¥. The maximum and minimum lengths for each set of blocks are 
also given. 
Sapte 1V—Length of wood fibers of true mahogany from different localities, in 
millimeters. 
Source of material. Average. Maximum.| Minimum. 
POTN ss ee re ce ey a ee 1. 747 2. 268 1. 218 
Meneziela 22252 5-47 Ae eae ee ee ae Re Sane ce eee 1.324 1. 638 - 882 
SAI Sal ved Orns ee oe eee ieee a a eee nce ne ee my open e a p Inbal iferaoee . 882 
CT a ae eR Edo 2a Eade Dire SN Sa der eee eg 1. 234 1. 680 . 840 
BIGKICO 2 A ee ae Se eee aes eee ae ee, 1A ee 1.176 1. 470 ~ 882 
Plorida see ee Pe ee got SSO A Be ey ee eee 1.136 - 1.428 - 840 
A-verare lengths. | 5.025 2 Bree Se eae pay Warts 1315s ee ee eee 
WOOD CALLED “ MAHOGANY.” 
The following cabinet woods resemble true mahogany in one 
or more characters, and on this account a good many, if not the 
majority, are marketed as miahogany of the particular region or 
country from which they are obtained. Some, however, occasionally 
come to the market under names of local origin. 
FROM INDIA, CEYLON, ANDAMAN, EAST INDIES, AND BORNEO. 
Madeira mahogany or Vinacito, Persea indica Spreng. 
Mahogany or Andaman Padouk, Pterocarpus dalbergioides Roxb. and Ptero- 
carpus idicus Willd. 
3orneo mahogany, Palo Maria or Poon, Calophyllum inophyllum L. 
Wast Indian mahogany, Soymida febrifuga A. Juss. 
