Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-07-26
A PRICED WOOD.
Interesting Facts About the Mahogany
Tree.
ton NetoS

the bahamas, and that portion Of Cen.
trd America 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 It's
full maturity in about two hundred
years. Full grown, it is one of the
monarchs of tropical America Its
trunk, which often exceeds forty 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, clinging so long to the spray
rs to make it almost an evergreen,
present Il 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, oval, not unlike the head of a
turkey in size and shape. and contains
five cells, in each of which are incloseJ
about fifteen seeds.
The mahogany tree was not discover
ed until the end Of the sixteenth cen
tury, and was not brought into European
use till nearly 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 1891
Its finely variegatcd tints were admir-
ed, but in that age the dream of FL
Dorado caused matters of more value
TO be neglected. The first that was
brought to England was about 1924, a
few planks having been sent to DIR.
Gibbons of London, 10y a brother who
was a West Indian captain. The doctor
was erecting a house, and gave the
planks to the workmen, who rejected
them "a being too hard. The doctor
then had n Candle-box made Of the
wood, his cabinet maker also complain
ing of the timber But, when finishe.
the box became an object Of general
curiosity and admiration. He had one
bureau. and her grace Of Buckingham
had another, made Of this beautiful
wood. and the despised mahogany now
became prominent article of luxury,
and at the same time raised the for
tunes Of the Cabinct-maker by whom IL
hal been so little regarded. Since that
time il has taken leading rank among
the ornamental woods, having come TO
be considered indispensable where lux
ury is intended TO be indicated.
\ few facts will furnish a tolerahly
distinct idea Of the size Of this splendid
tree. The mahogany lumbcrmcn, hay-
ing selected a tree surround 1t with a
platform about twelve feet above the
ground. and cut il above the platform
Some twelve or fifteen feet Of the larg-
est part Of the trunk are thus lost
Yet single log not unfrequcntl,
weighs from six or seven TO fifteen
tons, and sometimes measures "a much
| rs seventeen feet in length and four
and onc-half and Eve and one-half feet
in diameter, one tree furnishing two,
three, or four such logs. Some trees
have yielded 1900 superficial feet.
and at an average price pieces have
sold for $4,000. Mcssrs. Broadwoods,
London piano-forte manufacturers
! paid c300O for three logs, all cut from
/ one tree. and each about fifteen feet
| long and more than three feet squarc
/ The tre, Is cut at two seasons of the
| year-in the autumn and about Christ.
mas time. The trunk. Of course. fur.
nishes timber Of the largest dimensions.
| but that from the branches is preferred
for ornamental purposes, owing To its
closer grain and more variegated color.
In low and damp soil It's growth is
rapid, but the most valuable trees
grow slowly among rocks on sterile
soil. and seem TO gather compactness
and beauty from the very struggle
which they make for an existence In
the Bahamas. in the most desolate
regions, once lourished that curiously
veined and much esteemed variety
once known in Europe as madeira
WOOD" but which has long since been
exterminated. Jamaica. also. which
used tO'be a fruitful source of mahoga.
ny, and whence in 1853 not less than
25I,00O feet were shipped, is now
almost depleted. That which is nov
furnished from there is very inferior
pale and porous, and is less esteemed
than that Of Cuba, San Domingo, OF
Honduras.
Even the feeble rays of the moon
have an influence upon plants. In a