Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-06-08

The mahogany tree, says the Lumber
World, is a native of the West Indies, the
Bahamas, and that portion of Central Amer
lea that lies adjacent to the bay of Honduras,
and has also been found in Florida. 1t is
stated TO be of moderately rapid growth,
reaching its full maturity in about 200 years.
Full grown, it is one of the monarchs of
tropical America. Its trunk, which often ex-
ceeds 40 feet in length and six in diameter,
and massive arms, rising to lofty hight, and
spreading with graceful sweep over immense
spaces covered with beautiful foliage, bright,
glossy, Light and airy, olingng so long to the
spray as to make it almost an evergreen, pre-
sent a rare combination of loveliness and
grandeur. The leaves are small, delicate and
polished like those Of the laurel. The fruit
is a hard, woody capsule, not unlike the head
OF turkey in size and shape, and contains
i've cells, in each of which are inclosed about
II seeds
The mahogany tree was not discovered till
tht end of the 10th century, and was not
brought into European use till nearly CEN
tury later. The first mention of it is that it
was used in the repair of some of Sir Walter
Raleigh's ships at Trinidad in 1891 Its
finely variegated tints we're admired, bat in
that age the dream OF Ell Dorado caused mat
ters of more value to be neglected. The first
that was brought to England was about 1924,
few plank5 having been sent to DR.. Gibbons
OF London by a brother who was West In-
dian captain. The doctor was erecting a
house, and gave the planks to the workmen,
who re iected them as being too hard. The
doctor then had a candle box made OF the
wood, his cAbinet-maker also complaining of
the hardness of the timber. Bat, when I'm
ished, the box became on object of general
curiosity and admiration. He had one bu-
reau, and her grace of Buckingham had an
other, made of this beautiful wood, and the
despised mahogany now became prominent
article of luxury, and at the same time raised
the fortunes of the cabinet maker by whom
it had been SO little regarded. Since that
time it has taken leading rank among the
ornamental woods, having come to be con-
sidered indispensable where luxury is intend
ed to be indicated.
A few facts will furnish tolerably distinct
idea of the size of this splendid tree. The
mahogany lumbermen, having selected tree,
surround it with a platform about II feet
above the ground, and cut it above the plat
form Some II or 10 feet Of the largest part
of the trunk are thus lost. Yet single log
not unfrequently weighs from or to 10
tons, and sometimes measures as much as II
feet in length and A and 50 feet in diameter,
one tree furnishing two, three or four such
logs. Some trees have yielded Il, 900 super
ncial teet, ana at average price pltSee Aafo
sold for $4,000 Messrs. Broadwoods, Lon
don piauoforte manufacturers, paid G3OOO for
three logs, all cut from one tree, and each
about 10 feet long and more than three feet
square. The tree is cut at two seasons of the
year-in the autumn and about Christmas
time The trunk, of course, furnishes tim
ber of the largest dimensions, but that from
the branches is preferred for ornamental pur-
poses, owing to its closer grain and more va
riegated color.
In low and damp soil its growth is rapid
but the most valuable trees grow slowly
among rocks on sterile soil, and seem to gath
er oompactness and beauty from the very
struggle which they make for an existence
In the Bahamas, in the most desolate regions,
once fourished that curiously veined and
much esteemed variety once known in Eu-
rope as Madeira wood" but which has long
since been exterminated. Jamaica, also,
which used to be a fruitful source Of mahog-
any, and whence in 1853 not less than 81, ;
600 feet were shipped, is now almost depleted.
That which is now furnished from there Is
very inferior, pale and porous, and is less es-
| teemed than that of Cuba, San Domingo, or
1 Honduras.