424 General JS'olices. 



MISCELLANEOUS LNTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. General Notices. 



Cactus peruviiinus. — A plant in the royal garden (France,) attained 

 the height of forty feet and eight or ten inches diameter below. The 

 age of this specimen was one hundred and thirty-two jears, and, when 

 first planted, was only four inches in height and two inches dianjeter, 

 and two years old. {Jimmies de Fromont.) 



Polypodium corcovadense. — On the ridge of the Corcov^ado the vege- 

 tation is uncommonly strong and luxuriant, but the higher we ascend, the 

 large trees gradually become more rare, and the bamboos and ferns more 

 numerous, among which is a beautiful arborescent fern, fifteen feetin 

 height. {Spix and Martinis Brazil.) 



Wistur'vA Consequuna.. — We are again called to notice this lovely 

 plant, as we were struck with the great beauty of some specimens now 

 in tiower at Mr. Young's, Epsom, which are trained up poles of twenty 

 or thirty feet in length, and, by being continually deprived of their 

 young and superfluous shoots to within a few eyes of the stem, flower 

 most profusely, and what can be a more beautiful object than a long 

 pole completely covered with racemes of fine blue flowers, with here 

 and there a few young leaves showing themselves! This system of 

 growing climbing plants to poles, has been carried, by Mr. Young, to a 

 considerable extent, and is attended with the most complete success, 

 especially in roses, of which he has some most beautiful specimens; 

 but he has likewise some plants of the Wistarm treated as dwarf shrubs, 

 which, by being continually cut down to within a short distance of the 

 ground, have acquired a shrubby habit, and thus produce their flowers 

 very abundantly: it is almost needless to add, that these, when in flow- 

 er, have a most interesting and beautiful appearance. (Pax. Mao-. 

 Bot., for July.) 



Kyanising Wood for Garden purposes. — In Vol. XI, p. 536, a short 

 notice is given of the nature of Mr. Kyan's process for the ])reserva- 

 tion, not only of every kind of wood, but also of every kind of vegeta- 

 ble fibre, whether in the form of cloth or cordage. The object of Mr. 

 Kyan's composition is, to effect for wood what tanning elfects for leath- 

 er; and the chemical rationale of both processes will be found given in 

 the Architectural Magazine, vol. II, p. 236. During the last twelve- 

 months we have heard various accounts of the success of Mr. Kyan's 

 invention; and the general effect upon our minds, till lately, has been 

 rather unfavorable towards its use than otherwise. Mr. D. Beaton, 

 however, informs us, that, while at Haftield, (which place he has just 

 left,) he had an opportunity of using it and seeing it used; and that he 

 has formed a very favorable opinion, at least as to the use which might 

 be made of it in gardening. He has had several deal boards saturated 

 with it, and tallies for naming plants cut out of them; and he has seen 

 thin elm boards, which, after being newly sawn up, had been saturated 

 with the composition, remain in the sun, against a wall with a southern 

 exposure, a whole summer, without shrinking or tw isting in the slight- 

 est degree. He recommends all boards intended for hot-bed frames, 

 plant-boxes, and all similar purposes, to be Kyanised; and we wa)uld 

 farther suggest, that the process should be extended to all kinds of rods 

 and stakes used for tying up plants, or for protecting single trees; to all 

 rods, twigs, and boards used in summer-houses, rustic vases, ornament- 

 al fences, and espalier rails, and to all basket-work, hampers, wicker 



