32 HAND-BOOK OF PRACTICAL 



top soil drawn from the woods. The Magnolia Acuminata, or 

 Cucumber Tree, as it is frequently called, is very upright and 

 regular, almost cone-like in form, and for backgrounds or the 

 center of groups one of the most desirable of all deciduous trees. 

 It is the best of all as a stock to engraft any and all varieties 

 upon it. The Magnolia Macrophijlla, Cordata, Auriculata, 

 Conspicua, Soulangea, Longifolia, Gordoniana, Thompsoniana, 

 Nbrbertiana, Speciosa, Superba, Lenna and Tripetela are all 

 superior when worked on the Acuminata. The Olanca Purpurea 

 and Gracilis are of small growth on their own roots, and used 

 mainly as the foreground of groups. 



Maple. — Acer. — All the Maples are good as shade trees for 

 lawn or roadside, but among them the Eubrum, Red Flowering, 

 or, as generally termed, Scarlet Maple is most to be prized. Its 

 red flowers and leaves in early spring or beginning of summer, 

 its brilliant shades of red foliage in autumn, taken in connection 

 with its rapid growth and upright, spreading form, render it one 

 of the most ornamental of hardy trees. It may not be quite as 

 rapid in growth as the Silver-leaved (Dasycarpum), but is more 

 upright and its branches less liable to be broken by heavy 

 winds. The Silver-leaved is, however, a valuable variety, and 

 where partially sheltered or where it can have an opportunity to 

 develop itself, it is one of the most graceful as well as lofty of 

 the species. As the trees are all grown from seeds, there is great 

 variet}' of habit among them, some having almost as much of a 

 drooping habit as the Willow, others of a spreading, open habit 

 similar to American White Elm. For light sandy soils the Red 

 and Silver-leaved are among the best, other varieties in light 

 soils make little progress after a few years. The Sugar Maple 

 ( ' Saccharinum) makes one of the most compact and regular of 

 round headed trees, forming a dense shade. It is, however, a 

 a slow grower, and should be planted only in rich, deep, well 

 drained soils. The Moosewood or Striped-barked Maple is a 

 small growing variety, so also the Campestris, Dissectum, 

 Laciniata, Negundo Crispa. The Sycamore Maple (Pseudo 

 Platanus) is a stately, rapid growing tree, with broad foliage of 

 a rich green. In the autumn its foliage becomes a rich golden 



