Arizona republican., 1909-03-15
MAHOGANY IS PEER 0F DECORATIVE WOODS
The Markets of the World Ransacked
 In Search of it.

Washington, March S.-(Special correspondence of The Republican.)-
 For refined expression in the manu-
 facture of furniture and all forms of interior decoration mahogany is
 undoubtedly the peer of the hard
 woods. No wood is so universally
 used today for this purpose in every city and country of the world: no wood is so freely and successfully
 initiated
 Americas architects and men of the furniture and cabinet making in- dustries draw heavily upon the mark cts of the world in the struggle to supply an ever increasing demand for genuine mahogany. Hundreds of tons of logs annually are imported into this country and worked into beautiful forms to grace fine homes or dignify the interior of public buildings, large hotels or railway cars
 A few years ago mahogany was regarded as a very precious wood, and was employed only in the in terior of the finest houses and in the manufacture of the most expensive furniture. During the past few years, however, there has been a wonder full development in mahogany i'm portation and use.
 The total quantity of mahogany imported last year was nearly forty two million board feet. Of this large amount North America supplied 65.6 per cent and Europe IS per cent Though Europe supplied only a little more than one-fourth as much ma hogany as there was imported from North America it's average value per thousand feet was more than twice as much, due to finer quality. The re- mainder of the imports came from Africa, South America, and Asia.
 Mexico furnished 46.2 per cent of the mahogany coming from North America, Nicaragua followed with 19.2 per cent, British Honduras with 15.5 per cent, Cuba with s per cent, and Honduras with "A per cent Other Central American countries furnished the small remaining per centage.
 Immediately following the war with Spain, lumbermen of the United States exploited the largest and most l accessible of the Cuban mahogany forests. For few years the forests | of Cuba contributed more largely to | the supply in this country than at the present time. largely owing to the | rapidity with which this valuable | timber was logged and shipped An engineer employed by American au- thorities during the recent interven- tion in Cuba claims that nearly all of the available supply of mahogany l of that island has been exhausted 1 and that what now remains in any considerable quantities is far remote |, from transportation facilities.
 The number of buyers of mahogany in this country's hardwood market is ! now exceeded only by those of oak, | maple, poplar. basswood, ash, birch, | chestnut and cypress. The principal ] reason for the popularity of mahog- | any is that the importers of the logs | and the manufacturers of lumber | have never advanced its prices be- yond a modest profit, and it is rel ! atively SO low that it now makes lit- ! tie difference in price whether an of- | flee building or a home is finished | in mahogany or quartersawn white l oak.
 another reason for its popularity is | because 1t improves in tone with ago. l After much experimentation car | builders finish practically all of | their cars in mahogany, as it with stands satisfactorily the severe usage | and also holds its finish. The chief | centers of mahogany importation and | manufacture are Boston, New York, Louisville, New Orleans, Chicago, and | Indianapolis.
 The mahogany is the wood of a | tree of Swietenia, of the natural | family of Cedrelaceae, named by | Jaquin in honor of J. Van Swieten. | The tree is one of the most majestic | and beautiful, with large spreading | head and pinnate shining leaves. The | trunk is often forty feet in length | and six feet in diameter and is d. vided into many massive arms.
 In the London Timber and Trade Journal there appeared recently an interesting historical reference to the mahogany trade in England. Accord ing to this writer mahogany wood firct a1 ht- fr,i