bility to cemeteries, is well known, but in no region of the United States, where 

 the thermometer will sink 20° below freezing point, can this tree be grown ; hence 

 we must find a hardier substitute, and this we possess in the Irish Yew. During 

 this severe winter, all established plants stood well, losing only a portion of the 

 foliage and outer branches, but speedily shooting out again. It is one of the 

 most erect growing trees, of a deep, sombre green, and in keeping with all sculp- 

 tural and architectural objects. 



Taxus haccata, English Yew. — Why is not this valuable Evergreen more gene- 

 rally grown ? About this city, it grows as rapidly and beautifully as in England, 

 withstands our severest cold without the slightest protection, and is in every way 

 desirable and beautiful. I would therefore urge strongly its more frequent 

 planting. 



Magnolia grandifora. — Of all the broad-leaved Evergreens, this is unquestion- 

 ably the finest, being immeasurably in advance of the fine English Laurels, Por- 

 tugal Laurels, &c., in foliage ; forms a nobler and more stately tree ; and to these 

 fine qualities add its superlatively beautiful flowers. All large, well-established 

 plants passed safely over our severe winter, and many bloomed finely the past 

 summer ; in most instances, however, they lost their foliage, and where plants 

 were young, and grown vigorously, they were considerably injured. It may, how- 

 ever, be taken as a rule, that established plants, with well-matured wood, will 

 sustain 10° below zero without injury. 



English and Portugal Laurels. — Our ordinary winters, both these beautiful 



Evergreens will stand with impunity, but such a winter as the past (1855-6), they 



are levelled to the snow-line, which, from their beauty, is much to be regretted ; 



they should, however, be cultivated extensively South, which their beauty richly 



merits Nov. 1856. 



< • • > » 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



BY THE LATE A. J, DOWNING. 



If you wish to raise the earliest vegetables, or get the best growth possible in 

 any annual plant, be sure to use well rotted manure. The chemists may say what 

 they please about the loss of ammonia and the gases, and what they say about the 

 actual waste in letting manure rot before using it, is true enough, doubtless ; but, 

 setting that aside, practice has told me, time and again, that I can get a crop of 

 peas four or five days earlier than my neighbors, in the same soil, by using manure 

 a year old, and quite fine, when they use it almost as fresh as when it first comes 

 from the stable. The fact is, fresh manure is like corned beef and cabbage — very 

 hearty food, but requiring a strong stomach. Annuals of moderate growth, like 

 something easier of digestion. As all old gardeners know this by constant trial, 

 you can no more beat the value of rotted manure out of their heads than you can 

 make an elder bush bear white berries by scolding it. 



It is quite wonderful what a passion some men have for what they call pruning 

 trees, and what I call murdering them by inches. Only put a knife or saw into 

 their hands, and a tree before them, and you will see that it is only because they 

 were not born Caliphs of Bagdad, that their neighbors have any heads left on 

 their shoulders. Gardeners from the " auld countrie" — especially all such as have 

 served their time behind a wheel-barrow, are mighty fond of this sort of thing. 

 One of these " gintlemen" was lopping off and utterly despoiling the natural ways 

 of a fine linden-tree lately. When he was cross-questioned a little as to what he 

 about, ruining the tree in that manner, he replied : " Bless yer sowl ! I'm only 

 n' the hair iutil it!" But, in fact, many a better gardener than this I 



