EVERGREENS— THEIR USE AND CULTURE. 



been called "the Nursery of France," is situated between the 47th and 48th degrees of 

 north latitude; the temperature is tolerably uniform, although the centigrade thermome- 

 ter sometimes falls there below 12*, (5° above zero of Fahrenheit;) but there are none of 

 those sudden changes which are so injurious to vegetation, in disorganizing the tissues. 

 The severe frosts occur generally in December and January, and a thaw almost always 

 takes place during a cloudy and foggy season, owing, no doubt, to the influence of the 

 four rivers which surround Angers, and whose fogs counteract, by intercepting them, the 

 rays of the sun. Owing to these favorable circumstances, we are able to cultivate in the 

 open air, so great a number of plants, such as Camellias, and evergreen Magnolias, which 

 do not succeed so well even in countries farther south than the city of Angers. Besides 

 the above mentioned frosts, they also occur in March and April, of three, four, and five 

 degrees, and sometimes more; these, although less severe than those of winter, are, how- 

 ever, much more injurious, because they occur at a season when vegetation is already un- 

 der way, and when all the sap-vessels are much more sensitive to atmospheric influences. 



The soil of Angers and its environs is argillaceous, resting upon a stratum of silicious 

 rock of great depth, but permeable to water; it is easily warmed; the deposit of vegeta- 

 ble earth varies from eighteen to twenty-four inches in thickness. 



I have entered into all these details of the nature of the climate and soil, in order to 

 give a clear idea of the circumstances, in the midst of which the open air cultivation of 

 this Acacia is accomplished; a tree which, for a long time, it was not thought possible to 

 cultivate except in the hot-house or conservatory. 



AYhen I take into consideration the vast extent of the territory of the United States of 

 America — when I recall the luxuriant and varied vegetation covering the different portions 

 of that western soil, and which I was never weary of admiring when I had the happiness 

 of visiting it, I do not doubt that the southern and temperate latitudes are as favorable as 

 our own, and that the open air cultivation of this superb Acacia may be equally successful, 

 which will add still more to the natural riches of those pretty country seats, whose beauty 

 is only equalled by the vegetation that surrounds them. 



I shall be happy, if, in introducing to the readers of that excellent Journal, the Horti- 

 culturist, so beautiful an acquisition to horticulture, I might be able to induce some of 

 those similarly located as to climate, to attempt experiments, the success of which will re- 

 pay them for their efforts. Baptiste Dksportes, 



Nurseryman at Angers, (France.) 



[We hope some of our readers in the southern states will profit by M. Desportes' valua- 

 ble hints. No doubt this, and other Acacias, would be found perfectly hardy as far north 

 as Columbia, in South Carolina.] 



EVEUGPvEENS— THEIR USE AND CULTURE. 



BY .IAS. RICHARDSON, Jr., DEDHAM, MASS. 



We have often thought of painting, as a lesson and study for our friends in various parts 

 of the land, who have the good fortune to reside in the country — two pictures; the one 

 representing a house pleasantly situated, but wholly without shrubbery, lawns, or shade 

 trees, bare, naked, and dreary as Sahara; the other, its counterpart, depicting the same 

 house, charmingly environed by green and velvety lawns, with blooming shrubbery 

 shade trees, and groups of beautiful evergreens. And, we cannot but believe, that 



