SWIETENIA, MAHOGANY, in botany: A genus of plants belonging to the class of decandria, and to the order of monogynia; and in the natural system arranged under the 54th order, Miscellanea. The calyx is quinquefid. There are five petals; the nectarium is cylindrical, supporting the anther with its mouth. The capsule is five-celled, woody, and opening at the mouth. The seeds are imbricated and winged. There is only one species, the mahagoni, which is a native of the warmest parts of America, and grows also
Swietenia, in the island of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and the Bahama islands. It abounded formerly in the low lands of Jamaica, but it is now found only on high hills and places difficult of access.
It thrives in moist soils, but varies in texture and grain according to the nature of the soil. On rocks it is of a smaller size, but very hard and weighty, of a close grain, and beautifully shaded; while the produce of the low and richer lands is observed to be more light and porous, of a paler colour and open grain; and that of mixed soils to hold a medium between both. The tree grows very tall and straight, and is usually four feet in diameter; the flowers are of a reddish or saffron colour, and the fruit of an oval form, and about the size of a turkey's egg.
The wood is generally hard, takes a fine polish, and is found to answer better than any other sort in all kinds of cabinet ware. It is now universally esteemed, and sells at a good price; but it is pity that it is not cultivated in the more convenient waste lands of Jamaica. It is a very strong timber, and answers very well in beams, joists, plank, boards, and shingles; and has been frequently put to those uses in Jamaica in former times. It is said to be used sometimes in ship-building; a purpose for which it is remarkably adapted, if not too costly, being very durable, capable of resisting gun-shots, and burying the shots without splintering.
The feed-vessels are of a curious form, consisting of a large cone splitting into five parts, and disclosing its winged feeds, disposed in the regular manner of those of an apocynum. The feeds being winged, are dispersed on the surface of the ground, where some falling into the chinks of the rocks, strike root; then creep out on the surface of it, and seek another chink, into which they creep and swell to such a size and strength, that at length the rock splits, and is forced to admit of the root's deeper penetration; and with this little nutriment the tree increases to a stupendous size in a few years.
The first use to which mahogany was applied in England, was to make a box for holding candles. Dr Gibbons, an eminent physician in the latter end of the last and beginning of the present century, had a brother, a West India captain, who brought over some planks of this wood as ballast. As the Doctor was then building him a house in King-street, Covent-Garden, his brother thought they might be of service to him. But the carpenters, finding the wood too hard for their tools, they were laid aside for a time as useless. Soon after, Mrs Gibbons wanting a candle-box, the Doctor called on his cabinet-maker (Wollaston in Long-Acre) to make him one of some wood that lay in his garden. Wollaston also complained that it was too hard. The Doctor said he must get stronger tools. The candle-box was made and approved; insomuch, that the Doctor then insisted on having a bureau made of the same wood, which was accordingly done; and the fine colour, polish, &c. were so pleasing, that he invited all his friends to come and see it. Among them was the duchess of Buckingham. Her Grace begged some of the same wood of Dr Gibbons, and employed Wollaston to make her a bureau also; on which the fame of mahogany and Mr Wollaston was much raised, and things of this sort became general. This account was given by Henry Mill, Esq; a gentleman of undoubted veracity.