196 



GARDENING. 



Mar. 75, 



known along the lake shore were in Winnetka. 

 Hetty Green's place had ;i rim 1 one. 



O. C. SlMONDS. 



Nurserymen use B. alba nearly altogether fur 

 budding or graftirig it on, though populifolia is 

 just asgood. The latter, :is you are aware, is 

 native to states from New Jersey to Wisconsin, 

 and it' doubts existed of the hardiness of alba, this 

 onecould be used, whioh would certainly ensure 

 it. Nursery propagators here assert that cionspf 



a tree as the others. But its beautiful 

 oval, pink colored pods in autumn causes 

 it to be much planted. The Japanese 

 one, hypoleuca, already mentioned, also 

 has bright colored pods. Grandiflora is 

 the lovely evergreen one of the southern 

 states. An impression prevails that this 

 species is far more tender than it is. This 



Of the shrubby ones named the most of 

 them attain an almost tree like size in 

 time, but they commence blooming when 

 but two to three feet high. Conspicua, 

 Soulangeana and obovata have been 

 known the longest. The first is the one 

 with beautiful white flowers which ex- 

 pand as soon as spring weather conies. 

 Soulangeana has pink flowers, and obo- 

 vata purple, and these, too, flower in the 

 same way. In fact all the shrub sorts 

 bloom at the same time, some a little 

 later than others, excepting our native 

 one, glauca, which does not bloom till 

 the close of May. 



One of the smallest growers, but a beau- 

 tiful and early blooming one is stellata, 

 often called Halleana. Little plants but 

 a foot high will bloom. The first warm 

 days in April bring out the flowers, but 

 they do not all open at once. A good 

 sized bush will have flowers on it for per- 

 haps three weeks, which is not the case 

 with some, conspicua for instance, which 

 drop their flowers altogether in a few 

 days. The flowers of stellata have a 

 pinkish tint in the bud and are white 

 when expanded and semi-double and fra- 

 grant besides. 



A great many of the magnolias sent out 

 at different times, such as Alexandrina, 

 Norbertiana, speciosa and gracilis are 

 seedlings trom Soulangeana — itself con- 

 sidered but a variety — or from obovata, 

 which is the proper name for what most 

 nurseries call purpurea. In some cases 

 they seem so much like their parents, that 

 it is difficult to tell them apart. It is 

 possible for any one to get varying kinds 



tin' cut leaved will not unite on the yellow or the 

 sweet, attempts .having been made several times 



without >ii'-.'i-ss. lvrliai's sin >* m:i\ come '" 



you through use <>f populifolia for a stock. 



Jos. Mkehan. 



MAGNOLIAS. 



As spring is the recognized time for the 

 successful planting of magnolias a few 

 notes concerning these universal favorites 

 will be of interest to those contemplating 

 planting some of them Catalogues of 

 the present day, which aim to instruct 

 those who read them, mention that 

 spring is the proper time to plant magno- 

 lias This is correct, for in the case of 

 some stubborn sorts to transplant, such 

 as acuminata, I have known avenues of 

 it, set out by experienced persons in the 

 fall, with not a live tree in the lot when 

 spring came. The shrubby sorts are not 

 quite so difficult to handle, nor are quite 

 small plants of the others. That small 

 plants of acuminata and similar kinds 

 can be set in the fall and not large ones, 

 would indicate that failure must come 

 from loss or mutilation of roots. Cer- 

 tain it is that in the way most all trees 

 are dug and planted in the autumn, mag- 

 nolias will not succeed. 



For convenience of planters two divi- 

 sions may be made of these, trees and 

 shrubs. Those attaining the tree size are 

 the following, naming those common in 

 cultivation: acuminata, Fraseri, hypo- 

 leuca, macrophylla, tripetala and grandi- 

 flora. The most prominent ones, among 

 the shrubby ones are glauca, conspicua, 

 Kobus, gracilis, Lennei, obovata, Soulan- 

 geana, stellata, parviBora, and Watsoni, 

 and varieties such as speciosa, Norberti- 

 ana, Alexandria, etc. 



All the tree kinds named are natives 

 excepting hypoleuca which is from Japan, 

 and in many respects resembles our tripe- 

 tala. Fraseri is of very large growth 

 when in its prime. The flowers are of a 

 light canary color, and are of sweet per- 

 fume, making it very desirable. Tripe- 

 tala, or umbrella, docs not make as la.yge 



PROSPECT PARK. BROOKLYN. N. Y 



I do know and haveconvinced many oth- 

 ers of its truth, that it may safely be 

 planted about Philadelphia. I think 

 there are two reasons why it is not 

 thought hardy. The first is that like all 

 magnolias, it wants unusual care in 

 transplanting. The second is that being 

 evergreen adds to the risk of moving it, 

 and for these reasons it is apt to die. Do 

 with it as with all other sorts, get all its 

 roots and keep them fresh until soil covers 

 them again, and in addition cut off even- 

 leaf, and prune it. Then mulch it in sum- 

 mer, to keep the soil cool and moist, and 

 mulch it for the winter to keep the frost 

 frrirf) tjie roots. 



by sowing the seeds of any of the varie- 

 ties, as seedlings of these are rarely just 

 alike. 



I have not found magnolias over-par- 

 tieular as to soil so it be good and moist 

 or at least not dry. Plant them as soon 

 as the ground has dried up nicely in 

 spring, and do not spare the pruning of 

 the branches. Joseph Meehan. 



Philadelphia. 



SOME DESIRABLE SHRUBS. 



It has occurred to me that to mention 



some of the desirable shrubs from the list 



of those not over well known, would beof 



assistance to those who„wishi toj plant, 



