CEDRUS DEODARA. 
13 
we nowadays truft an iota more to its virtues, though all the qualities afcribed to it by the antient hymnifts 
were authoritatively fettled to belong to the Deodar, and to the Deodar alone. Neverthelefs, we fhall 
probably be right if we accept the generally received opinion, that the Devadara and the Deodar are one 
and the fame thing. Another antient notice of the tree is that of Avicenna, who, 800 years ago ( vide 
Royle’s Hindoo Medicine ), mentioned it under the name of Duidar, as an Indian pine, yielding a kind of 
turpentine. 
The fir ft modern knowledge which Europeans had of it was through the Hon. W. Leflie Melville, 
who, in 1831, brought feeds of it to this country. Thefe he fupplied to the Horticultural Society’s Gardens 
at Chifwick; to Lord Grenville, at Dropmore; to Mr Lambert; and to his own relative, Lord Leven and 
Melville of Melville, in Fifefhire. In a letter written in 1841, he records the date : he fays,—“ Mr Paxton, 
in his lift, I believe, antedates the introduction of this tree; at leaft it was in April 1831 that I landed with 
my feeds, and if any older plant can be fhewn, I have no claim to it.” Mr Froft tells us that he was 
affured by his predeceffor, the then gardener at Dropmore, that one or more of the trees in the Dropmore 
grounds were planted in 1829 ; but we imagine that this muft be a miftake, and we have no doubt that it is 
to Mr Leflie Melville that the introduction of the Deodar is really due. Thriving trees, the oldeft in 
Britain, remain at moft of the above places, as well as in their neighbourhood, raifed from fome of the feeds 
beftowed by thofe who had received them; as, for inftance, in the manfe garden at Monzie, near Melville; 
at Bury Hill, from feeds fent to Mr Barclay by Mr Lambert, &c. Dr Watfon (brother of Mr Sheriff 
Watfon, of Aberdeen) came home with Mr Leflie, who gave him fome of the feed. Thefe were grown at 
Liberton; and the only one which furvived is now in our nurfery at Bangholm, a mutilated fpecimen, it 
having been injured in the tranfplantation. The next envoi of feeds was in 1832, when fome were fent 
from India by the late Lord William Bentinck : thefe were fown at Welbeck, but only feven vegetated. 
The valuable qualities which the tree was reputed to poffefs, combined with its beauty, which was 
patent to all eyes and could not be difputed, immediately rendered this tree a univerfal favourite. Its 
renown fpread, and ten years later (1841) the Right Hon. T. F. Kennedy, who was then at the head of 
the Board of Woods and Forefts, dreading an infufficient fupply of Oak in future years for the purpofes 
of the Navy, and believing (what every one faid) that the Deodar was as hardy, ftrong, and durable as 
the Oak, with the advantage of growing much more rapidly, took counfel with the Earl of Auckland, then 
Governor, and the Court of Directors of the Eaft India Company; and they came to the conclufion that it 
was an objecft of national importance to fecure the introducftion and growth of this tree in large quanti¬ 
ties throughout Britain. To this end, Mr Kennedy, on his part, obtained from the Directors very large 
quantities of feeds (the rapid tranfit of the overland mail fecuring their arrival in good condition), the rearing 
of which was intruded to four of the principal nurferymen in Britain—viz., Meffrs Glendinning of Chifwick, 
Skirving of Liverpool, Waterer of Knaphill, and ourfelves. Seeds were alfo fown in the Royal Forefts, 
more efpecially in the New Foreft, and an immenfe number of young plants were raifed. Some of thefe 
were killed by the froft, but a large quantity ftill remain, which have been planted out and are doing 
well A much more extended introducftion, however, was contemplated than even the Royal Forefts could 
afford room for. The Eaft India Board fent large quantities from their Botanic Garden at Saharumpore 
(near the foot of the Himmalayas), which they fupplied gratuitoufly to every one who would pay the coft of 
carriage. And not only this, but they took a liberal ftep, which did more to fecure its wide-fpread introduc¬ 
tion than any exclufively governmental effort could have done: they imported large quantities, which they 
diftributed gratuitoufly to the principal nurferymen in England, leaving them to make their profit from 
them, and fo to fpread them abroad in the ordinary way of trade. The refult has been that thoufands of 
young plants are now flourifhing in all diredions throughout Britain ; and thus one of the nobleft of 
purpofes, that of permanently increafing the wealth and 'beauty of one’s country, has been rapidly accom- 
plifhed. Dr Lindley thus celebrates the important fad at the time : “ It is no longer as a folitary fpecimen 
to be viewed in fome rare colledion, that the Cedar of the Himmalayas has reached our ftiores; but 
thoufands and thoufands are in the poffeffion of many of the great landed proprietors of Great Britain, and 
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