188 General Notices. 



the Arb. Brit, and Lambert's Genus Pinus are silent on the point ; that the 

 cones of some species of Picea, but more especially tbose of Picea balsamea, 

 do not drop off when ripe, like those of the other species of Jbietina?, but fall 

 to pieces, as the peasant observed to M. Boissier ; that is, the scales drop off 

 from the axis of the cone, leaving the axis quite naked attached to the branch. 

 It remains thus several months after all traces of the cone disappears, and, by 

 a common observer, might be taken for dead spray. A squirrel first drew 

 my attention to this circumstance. Seeing him busy stripping these cones, 1 

 was surprised with what facility the little fellow detached the scales to get at 

 the seeds. To satisfy my curiosity, I climbed the tree, and found all the cones 

 ready to throw off their scales. — D. Beaton. March, 1839. 



There is now, March 5., in the new plantation on the south side of Ken- 

 sington Gardens, a young Picea balsamea, which produced cones last summer, 

 but from which the scales have all dropped off, and left the naked axis firmly 

 attached to the branches. This is the case, also, with the silver fir, and 

 doubtless with all the i^icea family. The axis of the cone of the cedar of 

 Lebanon also remains on after the scales have dropped ; but in that genus the 

 scales do not drop for several years. In ^ v bies, it is well known the seeds 

 drop, and the scales are persistent, remaining till the cone drops off. Here, 

 then, we have a very distinctive character between Picea and J v bies ; the scales 

 in the one case being persistent, and being in the other deciduous. Professor 

 Don, in his comparative character of Picea in the Arboretum Britannicum, 

 p. 2105., has stated that " both carpels and bracteas separate from the axis of 

 the strobile ;" but as this should be stated in a more marked manner, and con- 

 trasted with the carpels and bracteas in ^bies being deciduous, we are greatly 

 obliged to Mr. Beaton for calling our attention to this subject. Gardeners 

 like him, who are at once practical men and scientific botanists, form a most 

 valuable check on closet or literary botanists, and, above all, on makers of 

 species. See Mr. Beaton's valuable paper on the Fuchsia, Vol. XL p. 582.; 

 and his Review of Herbert's Amaryttidacece , Vol. XIII. p. 270. — Cond. 



VcBon'\2i [officinalis] Makoya. — This hybrid or new seedling peony was 

 raised in the Botanic Garden at Ghent. It is figured in Marnock's Ftoricul- 

 tural Magazine for March, and appears to be very double, white, with some of 

 the petals tipped with red, and most deliciously fragrant. The stock is in the 

 hands of M. Makoy of Liege, who asks twelve guineas a plant. It is called a 

 hybrid ; but, whether it is one of intention or of accident, or any thing more 

 than a seedling that has accidentally sported from its parent, does not appear. 

 At all events, it promises to be a most valuable addition to our herbaceous 

 peonies. — Cond. 



Asphaltic Pavement. — Among the improvements lately introduced here is 

 that of the asphaltic pavement. It is used for the trottoirs, or foot-pavement 

 at the side of the streets, and consists of fine gravel, cemented into a solid mass 

 by asphaltum. It is laid down hot, hardens in a few hours, and costs about 

 8| francs per square metre, or 6d. per square yard. On the Boulevards you 

 see it in sheets of 12 or 15 ft. square ; and these are so closely joined, that it 

 appears like an unbroken surface, a pavement without seams. It was intro- 

 duced four years ago ; and, according to the information I received from an 

 intelligent individual, it has completely succeeded for trottoirs. Small portions 

 of the horse causeway have also been laid with it, within the last six months, 

 by way of experiment, but the trial is yet too short to test its merits. This 

 causeway consists of angular fragments of paving-stone, of any shape, and from 

 two to six inches broad, laid in the bitumen, like bricks in mortar. The stones 

 are not thrown in at random, but disposed so as to form a tolerably level sur- 

 face, with broad lines of bitumen between them. If it succeed, it will be a 

 most important improvement ; for the horse causeway in Paris is extremely 

 bad, consisting of blocks of hard sandstone, eight or nine inches square, 

 polished smooth by wearing, and upon which it is marvellous that any horse 

 can keep his feet. (The Scotsman, Jan. 19. 1829.) 



Our readers will see from this extract, that the asphalte may be used for 



