FOREIGN NOTICES. 



239 



of from 7,000 to 12,000 feet; and, as it is now 

 becoming well known in this country, it is almost 

 superfluous to remark that it is, perhaps, the 

 most ornamental coniferous tree ever intro- 

 duced, and that, from its great beauty, rapid 

 growth, perfect hardiness, and valuable timber, it 

 is exceedingly well suited for being extensively 

 planted in woods, parks, and pleasure grounds. 

 Dr. Falconer gives the dimensions of a fallen Deo- 

 dar which he saw on the Himalayas, as thirty-six 

 feet in circumference at the base, and one hundred 

 and thirty feet in length. The same authority 

 states that timber of the Deodar, taken from a 

 temple supposed to have existed at least 1000 

 years, was, to all appearance, as soimd as when 

 first placed there, not affording a dwelling to even 

 a solitary insect. Burnes, in his Travels in the 

 Mysore, states that, " the frameworks of the hou- 

 ses are made of Deodar Cedar, which is floated 

 down with the inundations of the river Schem, or 

 Hyda.spes, from the Himalaya. The durability 

 and fragrance of the wood," he adds, " recom- 

 mend it for buildings of every description." He 

 further observes that he saw a " cedar tree lying 

 on the banks of the Hydaspes, with a <liameter of 

 thirteen feet. On this river," he continues, "the 

 Macedonians constructed the fleet by which they 

 navigated the Indus; and it is a remarkable fact, 

 that in none of the Punjaub rivers arc such trees 

 floated down, nor do there exist anywhere else 

 such facilities for the construction of vessels." 

 Bishop Heber, in a letter to Lord Grenville, al- 

 ludes to a pine, evidently the C. Deodara, as " a 

 splendid tree, with giijaniic arms and narrow dark 

 leaves, which is accounted sacred, and chiefly 

 seen in the neighborhood of ancient Hindoo tem- 

 ples." The Deodar and the Araucaria imbricata 

 are fine illustrations of two opposite styles of 

 beauty in landscape : the Deodar being of a growth 

 and hue, light, airy, and graceful, and the Arau- 

 caria being dark, rich and massive. The Deodar 

 Cedar is particularly valuable for planting singly 

 on lawns, and as an avenue tree. For the latter 

 purpose, it probably surpasses any other that has 

 yet been introduced. The wood of the Deodar, 

 Mr. Loudon remarks in his Arboretum Britanni- 

 cum, " has a remarkably fine close grain, capable 

 of receiving a very high polish; so much so, in- 

 deed, that a table formed of the section of a 

 trunk nearly four feet in diameter, sent by Dr. 

 Wallich to the late Mr. Lambert, has been com- 

 pared to a slab of brown agate." It is also 



stated that the wood of the Deodar has been 

 found perfectly sound in places where it has been 

 known to have stood upwards of 200 years. The 

 Deodar, like the Cedar of Lebanon, will grow in 

 almost any soil and situation. That it is, indeed, 

 admirably adapted for planting in all parts of this 

 country, is amply proved by the noble specimens 

 which are to be seen growing so luxuriantly in 

 the Royal Botanic garden at Kew, and in the 

 Garden of the Horticultural Society of London at 

 Chiswick, as well as at the country seats of many 

 distinguished amateurs of gardening, and more 

 particularly at Elvaston Castle, Dropmore, Pan- 

 shanger, and Heckfield Place. It is, therefore, to 

 be hoped that our large landed proprietors may 

 be induced to recognise the beauty and value of 

 this, perhaps, best of trees; and that the day is 

 not far distant when our hill sides will be covered 

 with it and other exotic conifers, the great beauty 

 of which will produce a most pleasing and an im- 

 portant change in the landscape scenery of Great 

 Britain. Knight's Synopsis. 



Prolongation of Bloom. — Very lately we 

 have seen an instance of Dahlias being preserved 

 from early frosts, which we consider worth no- 

 tice. They were chiefly of the fancy varieties, 

 and were growing in a bed upon the lawn of a 

 flower garden. They had been pegged down 

 whilst young, and kept so by repeated peggings, 

 so thrtt the highest plant did not exceed one and a 

 half feet. The owner was desirous to prolong 

 the bloom, and to do so, stuck in, all over the bed, 

 some stout sticks, allowing them to stand up 

 above the Dahlias from six to nine inches. Every 

 evening when there was the least appearance of 

 frost, the bed was covered over with garden mats, 

 sewed together in two's and three's, removing 

 them in the morning. By this slight protection 

 they are yet in the greatest perfection, whilst all 

 round the bed, such as were growing singly in the 

 border and others in large masses, were all more 

 or less injured and blackened with the frost. 

 Such of our readers whose Dahlias may have as 

 yet escaped from frost, would be wise, if possible, 

 to try the above method ; and the principle might 

 be extended to Geraniums, Heliotropes, &.C., with 

 the best effects. The first of October is a good 

 season to mark in a book, kept for that purpose, 

 the kinds of Dahlias, their colours, heights, and 

 other properties. Cottage Gardener. 



