4 MAGNOLIA GRANDIFI.ORA. 



in about Uititude thirty-livt' and a half doirroos, along the maritime districts of the 

 more southern states and the Floridas, and as far up the Mississippi as Natchez, 

 three hundred miles above New Orleans. It is said to grow in Texas near the 

 Brasos. 



The introduction of the Magnolia grandiflora into France dates back as far 

 as 1732. A fine plant was taken that year from the banks of the Missi,ssippi by 

 a marine officer, and planted in a poor soil in the town of Nantz. It grew there 

 in the open air until 175S, without attracting any particular notice, when it 

 came under the observation of M. IJonami. At the meeting of the states of iJrc- 

 tagne, held at Nantz, in September, 1760, he presented a branch of it in flower, 

 to the Princess of Rohan-Chabet, which became a subject of conversation and 

 interest to all there assembled. At that time the tree was thirty-five or forty 

 feet in height; but, during the civil war of La Vendee, it was mutUated, and 

 lost most of its branches. Afterwards, the burning of a house, near where it 

 stands, having damaged its fine head, it was treated as an orange-tree injured by 

 frost; that is, the branches were cut off close to the trunk. It shot out vigo- 

 rously, at first, but the young shoots, not having had time to ripen, were de- 

 stroyed by the frost. Notwithstanding this check, it again recovered, and after- 

 wards became a fine tree, between twenty-five and thirty feet in height, with a 

 large, well-proportioned head, and a trunk four feet in circumference, the lower 

 branches sweeping the ground. It annually produces from three hundred and 

 fifty to four hundred large, elegant, and sweet-scented flowers. The seeds 

 however, never arrive at perfect maturity; although the fruit attains its ful' 

 size, and remains upon the tree until the following spring. It may be sufficien 

 to state, that this tree, after having sustained so many injuries, and been a 

 living witness of all the political struggles of France for more than a century, 

 still exists at Maillardiere, the estate of M. le Compte de la Bretesche, from 

 whom the foregoing account was received. 



The precise date of the introduction of the Magnolia grandiflora into Britain, 

 is uncertain. In the " Hortus Kewensis," on the authority of Catesby, it Avas 

 cultivated prior to 1737, by Sir John Collinton, at Exeter ; and, as far as known, 

 the tree there was the first which was raised or planted in England. It was cut 

 down through mistake, about the year 1794, previous to which it seems to have 

 been rented by different gardeners, who at first sold the layers at five guineas 

 each ; but the price gradually fell to half a guinea. It is stated in the " Linnsean 

 Transactions," vol. x., that in 17.59, two fine trees about twenty feet in height 

 stood m the American grove, at Goodwood, near the coast of Sussex, that 

 flowered annually ; also, that Mr. Collinson had a plant there, raised by himself 

 from seed, which flowered for the first time in 1760, when twenty years old. 

 At White Knights, near Reading, there exists at present, a magnolia wall, which 

 is one hundred and forty-five feet in length and twenty-four feet high, entirely 

 covered with twenty-two plants of this species, that flower every year from 

 June till November. They were planted in the year 1800, when the price in the 

 nurseries, for good plants, was five guineas each. 



The Magnolia grandiflora, soon after its mtroduction into France and Eng- 

 land, doubtless found its way into the botanic gardens of Spain and Germany. 

 The first planted trees in Italy were in the botanic garden at Padua. On the 

 authority of the Abbe Belese, who made a tour through northern Italy in 1832, 

 these trees were planted in 1742, and at that time were sixty feet in height, with 

 trunks four feet in diameter. We are also informed that in the botanic garden at 

 Pisa, there are trees which flower and produce perfect seeds, from which plants 

 have been raised by M. Marmier, on his estate at Rois, near Besan^on. 



It is believed that this tree has been introduced into the botanic gardens of 

 South America and India; and, on the authority of Mr. Reeves, in Loudon's. 



