514 The yoiirnal of Forestry. 



Road, is to be foimd a choice, varied, and extensive selection of forest 

 trees and shrubs for covert, seedling and transplanted firs, pendulous 

 trees, conifera3, ornamental hardy trees and shrubs, and a collection of 

 ash, Ijeech, birch, chestnut, oak, sycamore, and other trees specially pre 

 pared for planting avenues, parks, hedgerows, &c. Less attention is here 

 paid to hothouse plants than in many nurseries, but the grounds being 

 open and near the sea, are found particularly suital:)le for all the descri})- 

 tions of forest trees acclimatised in this country. 



Among the conifers many of the larger sizes have been fi-equently trans- 

 planted, and have well-shaped heads and fine roots, enal)ling them to be 

 sent out with perfect safety and the greatest ultimate success. 



The small seed stock of Mr, Gorrie's new tree mallow (Z'/m/t^ra arhorea) 

 has been placed in Messrs. liobertson and Co.'s hands; and. if the extraor- 

 dinary yield from this plant, which was reported in the last volume of the 

 Highland and Agricultural Society's "Transactions" has been sustained, we 

 should think they would have no difficulty in disposing of it. 



Descriptive catalogues of forest trees and conifers, shrubs, &c., also one 

 of Dutch flower roots, and another of garden flowers and seeds, can 1)6 

 obtained from the offices of the firm at 33, St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh. 



DOWNIE AND LAIRD. 



The principal establishment and offices of Messrs. Downie and Laird are 

 at West Coates, Haymarket, but their nursery is at Pinkhill (which has 

 recently received an addition of some ten acres, under the name of jNIeadow 

 Park), about two miles west of Edinburgh on the Glasgow road, where 

 great attention is given to the growth of every description of hot-house 

 plants, ornamental trees and shrubs, and forest and fruit ti-ees, under the 

 personal supervision of the senior partner, who resides on the spot. 



It is to the enterprise of Messrs. Downie and Laird that Edinburgh is 

 mdebted for the Royal "Winter Garden at West Coates, which was con- 

 structed by them at a cost of £3,000, and was opened to the public with 

 considerable ceremony by the Lord Provost in 1873. Here is always to be 

 found a fine and varied collection of seasonable flowers and plants, besides 

 ferns and ornamental shrubs, which cannot fail to make a visit to the 

 Winter Garden a pleasant one at any time. 



Experiments with Safety Blasting Powder 

 near Jedburgh, N.B. 



The following report, taken from the Jedhin'uli Gar.cUc, of some experi- 

 ments with Tonito, given on the estate of the ]\Iarquis of Lothian, may be 

 interesting to many of our readers who hnve land to clear of tree-stumps 

 and boulder stones : — 



A series of interesting experiments with a new kind of blasting powder 

 ("tonite") was performed l^y Mr. Thomas Dincen, F.R.G..S., in the presence 



