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ARBORETUM ANU FRUTICETUM.

PART IIT.

or corn. The pollen of the male flowers, which is produced in immensequantities, is a fine powder, of a lively yellow, without taste or smell; whichinflames readily, and burns brightly, like that of the powder of the Lycoperdon,which it greatly resembles. It has been analysed by M. Macaire Prinsep(Bib. univers. de Geneve , 1830, p. 45.), but it has not been yet applied to anyuseful purpose.

The wood called cedar by the ancients was supposed so incorruptible,that the expression of dignus cedro (worthy to he preserved in cedar) wasapplied to anything thought worthy of immortality; and, in allusion to this,Persius says, in his first satire, “ Et cedro digna locutus” (worthy to beplaced in cedar). The words “ cedro digna ” are often applied as a compli-ment at the present day. The resinous products of the tree were, likethe wood, highly valued by the ancients. The Romans believed that thegum which exuded from this tree, and which they called cedria, had theproperty of preserving incorruptible every thing that was steeped in it.Vitruvius states that the leaves of papyrus, when rubbed with it, were neverattacked by the worms; and Pliny, that the books of Numa, which were founduninjured in the tomb of that prince, 500 years after his death, had beensteeped in the oil of cedar. The Egyptians also used this cedria in embalmingtheir dead ; and Pliny, Dioscorides, Scribonius Largus, &c., recommend thecedria for curing the toothache, and for various other complaints.

As an ornamental object, the cedar is one of the most magnificent of trees;uniting the grand with the picturesque, in a manner not equalled by any othertree in Britain, either indigenous or introduced. On a lawn, where the soilis good, the situation sheltered, and the space ample, it forms a gigantic py-ramid, and confers dignity on the park and mansion to which it belongs ; and itmakes an avenue of unrivalled grandeur, if the trees are so far apart as to allowtheir branches to extend on every side. If planted in masses, it is, like anyother species of the pine and fir tribe, drawn up with a straight naked trunk,and scarcely differs in appearance from the larch, except in being evergreen.This is exemplified at Kenwood, at Claremont, and other places near London.On the other hand, where the cedar is planted in masses, and a distance of50 ft. or 60 ft. allowed between each tree, nothing in the way of sylvan majestycan be more sublime than such a forest of living pyramids. This is exemplifiedaround the cedar tower at Whitton, and on the cedar bank at Pepper Harrow.

Gilpin, speaking of thecedarof Lebanon,says:—“ To it preeminence belongs,not only on account of its own dignity, but on account of the respectablemention which is every where made of it in Scripture. Solomon spake oftrees, from the cedar of Lebanon, to the hyssop that springeth out of the wall;that is, from the greatest to the least. The Eastern writers are, indeed, theprincipal sources from which we are to obtain the true character of the cedar,as it is an Eastern tree. In the sacred writers particularly, we are presentedwith many noble images drawn from its several qualities. It is generallyemployed by the prophets to express strength, power, and longevity. Thestrength of the cedar is used as an emblem to express the power even ofJehovah : — ‘ The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.’David characterises the palm tree and the cedar together, both very strongly.— ‘ The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, and spread abroad like acedar of Lebanon.’ The flourishing head of the palm, and the spreadingabroad of the cedar, are equally characteristic. But the prophet Ezekiel hathgiven us the fullest description of the cedar : — ‘ Behold, the Assyrian was acedar in Lebanon, with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and ofa high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs. His boughs weremultiplied, and his branches became long. The fir trees were not like hisboughs, nor the chestnut trees like his branches, nor any tree in the gardenof God like unto him in beauty.’ In this description, two of the principalcharacteristics of the cedar are marked: the first is the multiplicity andlength of its branches. Few trees divide so many fair branches from the mainstem, or spread over so large a compass of ground. ‘ His boughs are multi-