266 
TIMBER AND TIMBER TREES. [chap. 
measured respectively about 37 and 34 inches in diameter, 
and were making wood at the rate of 1 inch of diameter 
in about 2 y 2 years. If this rate of growth is applied to 
the largest of the trees which Maundrell mentions that 
he saw upon Mount Lebanon, it would show them to be 
only about 350, or, at the most, 400 years old ; and it is 
probable that this is somewhere about the limit of age 
which the Cedar trees attain, and not 3,000 years, as has 
been asserted. 
The rapid growth of the Cedar tree is borne out by 
the careful examination of some logs brought from Hon¬ 
duras, which were found to exhibit a rate of growth even 
quicker than those mentioned, the concentric rings show¬ 
ing that 1 inch of wood diameter was made in rather 
less than two years. 
We know very little of the quality of the timber of 
the Cedar of Lebanon ; it is too scarce to find its way 
in any quantity into the markets of this country. 
THE CUBA, HONDURAS, AND MEXICAN CEDARS 
are varieties of the Cedrela odorata , but in their nature 
and condition of growth are very different from the Abies 
Cedrus of Lebanon, which flourishes best with plenty of 
room and in open grounds, whilst those of the West 
Indies and Central America appear to prefer a closer 
situation, and attain the greatest perfection in the 
forests. Many of these are very fine trees, capable of 
yielding well-squared logs of timber, 12 to 24 inches on 
the side by 18 to 40 feet in length, and even these 
dimensions are occasionally exceeded. Smaller timber 
is brought in considerable quantities into the market, 
the whole finding a ready sale among cabinet-makers 
and with those engaged in the manufacture of cigar- 
boxes and similar articles. 
