264 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III. 



the branches were cut off close to the trunk. It shot out vigorously ; but the 

 youuj; shoots, not having had time to ripen, were destroyed by the frost. 

 Notwithstanding this check, it again recovered, and afterwards became a fine 

 tree, between -^j ft. and 30 ft. high, with a large, well [)roportioned head, and 

 a trunk 4 ft. in circumference, the lower branches sweeping the ground ; and 

 the whole tree producing annually from 350 to 400 large, elegant, and sweet- 

 sccnteil How ers. The seeds, however, never arrive at perfect maturity ; although 

 tlic fruit attains its full size, and remains upon the tree till the following 

 spring." {your. Du/i., i. p. 220.) This tree, as we have noticed in p. 138., still 

 exists, and is now upwards of 30 ft. high, and 100 years of age. 



M. grandiflora, soon after its introduction into France and England, would 

 iloubtless find its way into the botanic gardens of Germany. In Italy, as 

 already noticed in p. 169., the first planted trees were in the botanic garden at 

 Padua, where, in 90 years, they have attained the height of GO ft., with trunks 

 4ft. in diameter; and in the botanic garden at Pisa, as we are informed in 

 the Xouveau Dii Hamcl, it produced perfect seeds, from which plants were 

 raised by jNI. Marmier, on his estate at Rois, near Besan^on. The tree has 

 been introduced into the botanic gardens of Spain ; also, it is believed, into 

 those of South America and India; and, as stated in p. 176., into the gardens 

 of China. 



Properties and Uses. The medical properties of the genus have been already 

 mentioned. In Europe, it can only be considered in the light of an orna- 

 mental tree, or rather, perhaps, shrub ; as, generally Sfjeaking, it can only 

 be cultivated with success when trained against a wall. 



Soil and Situation. In Europe, a deep sandy loam, dry at bottom, and en- 

 riched with vegetable mould or heath soil, seems to suit all the varieties of 

 this species. The situation in the colder parts of Europe may be exposed to 

 the direct influence of the niid-daj^ sun ; but, in the south of France, and in 

 Italy, the tree always thrives best when in the shade of other trees ; and in 

 these countries, also, it requires a moister soil than in England. Where the 

 tree is to be treated as a standard, the situation should be sheltered from the 

 points from which the highest winds are expected, but it should be open to 

 the south or south-east, to admit abundance of light and warmth. In general, 

 where the fig tree will grow as a standard, and survive the winter without protec- 

 tion, there the Miignoh'rt grandiflora may be planted, and treated as astandard also. 

 The best situations are, the south-east margin of a shrubbery or wood, a sheltered 

 I)lace on a lawn, or an open glade in a plantation. Perhaps the finest situation for 

 ilisplaying the flowers of this tree, as a standard, would be a sloping bank of 

 sandy soil facing the south-east. Here it might be mixed with a few^ of the 

 deciduous magnolias, and particularly with M. conspicua and Soulangernjfl, 

 which, as they flower before their leaves come out, would be set off to great 

 advantage by" the evergreen leaves of iNI. graniliflura. When this species is 

 to be trained against a wall, any aspect may be chosen, except, perhaps, 

 the north-east. To display the flowers to the greatest advantage, to a spec- 

 tator walking in a direction nearly parallel to the wall, the ground plan of the 

 latter should be curvilinear, by w hich means a dii-ect or front view of a con- 

 siderable portion would be brought before the spectator. In general, a seg- 

 ment of a circle will be sufficient for a short wall ; and two or more segments, 

 forming an ogee, or a serpentine line, for a longer wall. In a very exposed 

 situation, a magnolia wall, 20 ft. or 30 ft. high, might form three parts of a 

 round tower, open at top ; the lateral opening facing the south, and the trees 

 planted inside the tower. All the trees might easily be protected by throwing 

 a slight roof of boartls over the tower during winter. If the tower were not 

 more than 20 ft. or 30 ft. in diameter, the walls, if built of brick ami cement, 

 need not be thicker than 9 in., even if made 30 ft. high. jNIixgnolias might be 

 grown in the inside of such a tower, and camellias on the outside. The 

 wall may be of any height, from 10 ft. to 20 ft., or even 50 ft. A wall covered 

 with evergreen magnolias, intcrsperseil with a few plants of jNI. conspicua, 

 forms a beautiful medium of comiexion between a conservatory and a flower- 

 garden or shrubbery; or it forms an admirable northern boundary to a winter 



