508 



THE CIIINKSE MAGNOLIAS, 



Fig. 114. Portrait of the Chinese White Magnoliain Mr. Doivning's grounds. 



usually followed by a few seeds. Last 

 year, however, it gave us quite a crop of 

 large and fine seeds from which we hope 

 to raise many plants.* 



This tree is perfectly hardy in this lati- 

 tude, and we have never known one of its 

 flower buds, (which are quite large in au- 

 tumn,) or an inch of its wood, to be killed 

 by the most severe winter. It is, however, 

 grafted about a foot from the ground, on a 

 stock of our Western Magnolia — sometimes 

 called in Ohio the " Cucumber tree," {M. 

 acuminata.) This perhaps renders it a lit- 

 tle more hardy, and rather more vigorous 

 than when grown on its own root — as this 



• There is, we learn, a fine large specimen of thi» tree in 

 he garden of Mr. William Davidson, Brooklyn, N. Y. 



native sort is the very best stock for all the 

 Chinese sorts. It is so propagated by bud- 

 ding in August ; and no doubt the spring 

 budding recommended by Mr. Nelson in 

 this number, would be a highly successful 

 mode. 



The next most ornamental Chinese Mag- 

 nolia, is Soulange's Purple, (Magnolia Sou- 

 la7igiana.) This is a hybrid seedling raised 

 by the late Chevalier Soulange Bodin, the 

 distinguished French horticulturist. The 

 habit of the tree is closely similar to that of 

 the Conspicua ; its blossoms, equally nume- 

 rous, are rather larger, but the outside of 

 the petals is finely tinged with purple. It 

 partakes of the character of both its parents 

 —having the growth of Mag?iolia conspicua 



