REMARKS ON THE MAGNOLIA. 235 



new to us ; it exhibited unknown animals, and afforded us vegetables 

 no less novel than numerous. It has bad the effect of a new creation J 

 new wants have arisen, and new inventions have sprung up to gratify 



thCm ' « Then commerce brought into the public walk 



The busy merchant ; the big warehouse built, 

 Raised the strong crane, choak'd up the loaded street 

 With foreign plenty ; and thy stream, O Thames ! 

 Large, gentle, deep, majestic, king of floods ! 

 Chose for his grand resort." Thomson. 



The shrubs of the new world have been transplanted into our 

 gardens, and the forest trees of America rear their heads in our 

 woods; whilst, in return, we have planted colonies on the newly- 

 discovered shores, who have reared their national constitution and 

 laws with such care, that it may probably be found thriving there in 

 its purity when time and corruption shall have destroyed the parent 



trunk. . 



The magnolia grandiflora, or laurel-leaved magnolia, is a native ot 

 that part of America which has been named Florida, from the beauti- 

 ful plants with which it abounds; and when growing in its native 

 soil, the magnolia is esteemed the most beautiful tree known; it 

 reaches from 90 to 100 feet in height, and is clothed with an ever- 

 green leaf of the most lucid colour on the upper surface, and of a 

 russet tint beneath. The shape is nearly that of the common laurel 

 leaf, but much larger ; and being agreeably waved on the edge, it has 

 not the heavy and stiff appearance of the laurel leaf, although the con- 

 sistency is the same. It is sessile, and placed without order on every 

 side of the branches. The flowers appear from June to September, 

 during which time they perfume the air for a considerable distance 

 round with the most agreeable odour, which at one moment reminds 

 us of the jasmine or lily of the valley, and the next, of the violet 

 mixed with the apricot. 



During the last summer we saw a fine tree of this description in 

 the exotic gardens of M. Bourseau, Rue Mont Blanc, in Paris, which 

 scented the whole of that elegant plantation. 



We have also seen a most noble magnolia in the grounds of the 

 Priory, near Ryde, in the Isle of Wight ; and which, we were then 

 told, often wafted its delightful fragrance to more than a half a mile 



