NOTES ON THE VALLEY OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN. 



509 



and the colour of M. purpzcrea, (or indeed a 

 lighter shade of purple.) Its term of bloom- 

 ing is also mid-way between that of these 

 two species, being about a week later than 

 that of the white or Gulan Magnolia. It is 

 also perfectly hardy in this latitude. The 

 Purple Chinese Magnolia [M. purpurea,) 

 is a much dwarfer tree than the two prece- 

 ding species. Indeed, it is properly a shrub, 

 some six to eight feet in its growth in this 

 latitude. Grafted on the " cucumber tree," 

 it would no doubt be more vigorous, and 

 perhaps more hardy, for it is occasionally 

 liable to have the ends of its branches 

 slightly injured by severe winters here. 

 Its flowers begin to open early in May, and 

 on an old plant they continue blooming for 

 six weeks, and indeed in a shaded situa- 

 tion, often for a considerable part of the 

 summer. These blossoms are white with- 

 in, of a fine dark lilac or purple on the out- 

 side, and quite fragrant like the others. 

 This is the oldest Chinese Magnolia known 

 here, having been brought from China to 

 Europe in 1790 — and it is now quite fre- 

 quently seen in our gardens. 



There is another species, [M. gracilis,) 

 the Slender-growing Magnolia, which very 

 nearly resembles the Purple Flowering 

 Magnolia — and indeed only differs from it 

 in its more slender growth, and narrower 

 leaves and petals. 



If these noble flowering trees have a de- 

 fect, it is one which is inseparable from the 

 early period at which they bloom, viz., that 

 of having few or no leaves when the blos- 

 soms are in their full perfection. To reme- 

 dy this, a very obvious mode is to plant 

 them with evergreen trees, so that the latter 

 may form a dark green back ground for the 

 large and beautiful masses of Magnolia 

 flowers. The American Arbor Vitae, and 

 Hemlock, seem to us best fitted for this pur- 

 pose. To those of our readers who do not 

 already possess the Chinese Magnolia, and 

 more especially the two first named sorts, it 

 it is impossible to recommend two trees, 

 that may now be had at most of our large 

 nurseries, which are in every respect so orna- 

 mental in their symmetrical growth, rich 

 blossoms and fine summer foliage, as the 

 Chinese Masrnolias. 



NOTES ON THE VALLEY OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN. 



BY CHAUNCEY GOODRICH, BURLINGTON, VT. 



Lake Champlain extends from Whitehall 

 (Skeensborough of olden time,) lat. 43° 23', 

 to St. Johns, in Canada, lat. 45° IS'. Its 

 elevation is about 100 feet above tide water, 

 and its width, for about 50 miles from its 

 southern and northern extremities, ave- 

 rages about two miles, and its central part 

 about five miles. Its greatest width is op- 

 posite Burlington, Vt., where it is nearly 

 ten miles. It is less liable to storms than 

 any other of the American lakes, and it.s 

 navigation is so safe that marine insurance 



is unknown on its waters. Its basin may 

 average, south about 20 miles, east about 

 50 miles, and west about 40 miles ; bounded 

 east by the Green mountain chain dividing 

 its waters from the river Connecticut, and 

 west by the Adirondack chain of mountains, 

 dividing it from the rivers Hudson and St. 

 Lawrence. On the east side, a rolling sur- 

 face extends about 20 miles to the base of 

 the mountain range, until it enters Canada, 

 lat. 45°. On the west side, the surface is 

 very broken. There are some fine farming 



