Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-06-13

MAHOGANY The mahogany tree, sayt
the lumber world, is Il native of the West
indies, the Bahamas, and that portion o
Central America that lies adjacent to the
bay of Honduras, and has also been found
in Florida. IL is stated TO be of moderately
rapid growth, reaching its full maturity in
about 200 years. Fall grown, il is one Of
the monarchs of tropical America. Its
trunk, which often exceeds 40 feet in length
and six in diameter, and massive arms,
rising to lofty height, and spreading
with graceful sweep over immense spaces,
covered with beautiful foliage, bright,
glossy, light and airy, cingins so long TO
spray as to make it almost an evergreen,
present \ rare combination of loviness and
grandeur. The leaves are small, delicate
and polished like those of the laurel. The
fruit is hard, woody capsule, not unlike
the head of II turkey in size and shape.
In each of which are inclosed about Is
seeds.
The mahogany tree was not discovered
till the end of the 10Th century. and was
not brought into European use till nearly
II century 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 1897. Its finely variegaled tints were
admired, but in that aye The dream of FL
Dorado caused matt ers Of more value to
be neglected. The first that was brought
to England was about 1924, a few pla.. ks
having been sent to Dr.. Gibbons of Lon
don by a brother who was West Indian
captain The doctor was erecting house,
and gave the planks to the workmen, who
rejected them as being too hard. The
doctor then had candle box made of the
wood. his cabinet maker also complaining
of the hardness of the timber. But, when
finished, the box became an object of gen
eral curiosity and admiration. lie had
one bureau, and her grace of Buckingham
had another, made of this beautiful wood,
and the despised mahogany now became
a prominent article of luxury. and at the
same time raised the fortunes of the cab.
net maker by whom it had been so little
regarded. Since that time it has taken Il
leading rank among the ornamental woods,
having come to be considered indispensa
BILE where luxury is intended to be indica-
ted.
A few facts will furnish IL tolerably
distinct idea of the size of this splendid
tree. The mahogany lumbermen, having
selected tree, surround it with plat.
form about IL feet above the ground, and
cut it above the platform Some ~ or / )
feet of the largest part Of the trunk are
thus lost. Yet single log not unfrequcnt-
ly weighs from 6 or 10 Is tons, and
measures as much as II feet in
length and 1.2 and 12 feet in diane.
ter, one tree furnishing two. three or four
such logs. Some trees have yielded
IL, 900 superficial feet, and at average price
pieces have sold for $4,000. Messrs.
London piano forte manufic-
turers, paid $4,000 for three logs, all cut
from one tree, and each about Is 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 timber of
the largest dimensions, but that from the |
branches is preferred for ornamental pur-
poses, owing to its closer grain and more
color.
In low and damp soil its growth is
rapid; but the most valuable trees grow
slowly among rocks on sterile soil, and
,eem to gather compactness and beauty
rom the very struggle which they make
or an existence. In the Bahamas, in the
most desolate regions, once fourshed that
veined and much esteemed
7ariety once known in Europe as MADEIRA
wood but which has long since been exter.
Jamaica, also, which used to
,e q fruitful sovrce of mahogany, and
whence in 1853 not less than 521 90 feet
we're shipped, is now almost depleted.
That which is now furnished from there is
cry inferior, pale and porous. and is less
steemed than that Of Cuba, San Domingo,
Il Honduras.