Locust. - One of the largest forest trees, growing generally throughout the United States. Its hard, yellowish wood is composed of very wide annual layers, in which there are comparatively few and large vessels arranged in rows. The medullary rays are well marked and numerous. Although it polishes readily, it is used only to a small extent in cabinetwork, but finds a demand in exposed structures, where great durability is necessary, as in ship-building, supports for buildings, posts, etc. Its hardness, which increases after manufacture, makes it a favorite with turners.

Sugar-Maple is a timber-tree of large size, growing in the northern parts of the United States and in Canada, which, besides furnishing a sap rich in sugar, gives a light-colored, fine-grained, hard, strong, and heavy wood. Its annual growth is narrow, with small vessels scattered through it. The medullary rays are small and distinct, giving to the radial surface a well-marked silver grain. In the older trees, wavy or curled grain, or the inflection called bird's-eye, may appear, enhanc ing the beauty and increasing the value of the wood. "Were it not for its want of durability, its hardness and handsome, silky grain would make it our most valuable wood. It is used for a great variety of purposes - building, implements, machine-frames, work-benches, furniture, fancy-work, and turnery. Curled and bird's-eye maples are frequently sawed into veneers.

Mahogany. - A native tree of the West Indies and Central America. It is a very large and most valuable tree, furnishing a durable and handsomely marked wood. Its color varies from yellowish to reddish brown; its hardness from a moderately to an exceedingly hard wood; and its grain from straight to the most crooked contortions. The annual rings are large, and contain a few large, scattered vessels. The medullary rays are very fine and crowded. A peculiarity in the growth of mahogany is the alternating obliquity of the fibers of one annual layer to those adjoining; this is sometimes over ninety degrees between fibers four or five layers apart. The straight-grained varieties have little tendency to warp, but the cross-grained ones warp and twist to a remarkable degree. The wood is used for many purposes - machine-frames, work-benches, all kinds of furniture, cabinet-work, interior finish of dwellings, and patterns.

Lignum-vitae. - A West India wood, exceedingly heavy and hard. The annual rings are almost solid, containing a few small and scattered vessels. The medullary rays are very numerous, but difficult to make out. The wood is very resinous, hard to split because of the obliquity of the fibers of the annual layers, and dark brown in color; it is soapy to the touch; is used for small tools, bowls, and in turnery; and is well adapted for block-pulleys.

Basswood is a large tree growing generally throughout the Northern United States and Canada. It furnishes a light, soft wood, with the general appearance of pine. The annual layers are filled with very small vessels, the medullary rays numerous and distinctly seen in radial sections. Though not strong, the wood is difficult to split, and has a great tendency to warp. It may be easily bent, thus adapting it to a variety of uses, especially the curved panels of carriages and sleighs.

Whitewood is the wood of the tulip-tree, a large, straight-stemmed forest tree, growing in most of the United States. The wood is light, soft, breaks easily without splintering, does not split with the grain when dry, shrinks excessively in drying, and is very liable to warp and twist. The annual rings are very large, with numerous small vessels throughout, giving a fine grain. The medullary rays are very numerous and distinct. The cheapness, ease with which it is worked, and large size of its boards, cause the wood to be used in carpentry and cabinet-work in many places where pine is better suited.

Rosewood. - The wood of several foreign trees growing in Brazil, Canary Islands, Siam, and other places. The annual rings are narrow, almost solid with resinous materials, and with a few very large, scattered vessels. The medullary rays are very fine but perceptible on the smoothed surface. The wood is heavy, hard, brittle, takes a high polish, and has a characteristic odor and taste. The grain is remarkably handsome, those kinds with alternating dark-brown and red markings being most prized. Besides tool-handles few things are made of the solid wood; it is sawed into veneers which are extensively used in cabinet-work.

Boxwood. - A tree growing in Southern Europe and Asia, furnishes a heavy, hard wood with a peculiarly even, almost structureless grain. The annual rings are very narrow, with many small, scattered vessels. The medullary rays are very fine and numerous. Boxwood is yellowish in color, and is used for many purposes - in turning, model-making, and particularly in wood-engraving, in which it has no equal.

Ebony. - A dark, sometimes jet-black wood, from several foreign countries, the best coming from the Mauritius. The wood is heavy, hard, very strong, with an almost solid annual growth, in which there are very few open vessels. The medullary rays are very fine, but visible. It has an astringent taste, takes a high polish, and is used for many small articles, in turnery, and in cabinet-work.

Table of Woods, with their Chief Qualities compared by Simple Numbers