44 SPRING EFFECTS ON THE LA WN. 



its long shrubby stems look rich and peculiar at that 

 season, wreathed and studded with reddish-purple clinging 

 flowers. 



Of like peculiar habit are the Asiatic magnolias, chief 

 among which for early blooming is the Japanese Magnolia 

 stellata, with its delicate white star-like blossoms resting 

 on firm compact stems. The better-known Chinese mag- 

 nolias, conspicua, Soulangeana, Norletiana, and Lennei, are 

 each grand in their way, but come later than steUata y al- 

 though still before the leaves appeal 1 . Soulangeana is the 

 most vigorous and hardy, and best fitted for general popu- 

 larity, but conspicua is, after all, the magnolia chief and 

 peculiar among its race for choice beauty. It has not as 

 sweet an odor or so dainty a development as M. stellata, 

 but it is grander and more generally effective in appearance. 

 A large tree of M. conspicua is a beautiful sight when 

 arrayed in full bloom, especially if there has been, as often 

 occurs in April, a light fall of snow. The great white 

 regular cups of the flowers cover the entire contour of the 

 tree, until as we gaze on it we could fancy, in the absence 

 of foliage, we were looking on a white cloud. Snow 

 adds greatly to the effect by harmoniously blending with 

 the mass of these myriads of flowers. Like many plants, 

 however, it is in this peculiar attractiveness of the early 

 flower that we find its weakness. Late frosts sometimes 

 catch and destroy the blooms of conspicua, which fact, 

 notwithstanding the superior excellence of conspicua above 

 Soulangeana, gives a decided advantage to the latter on 

 account of its somewhat late^Moom. 



Norbetiana is but a slenderer, smaller form of Soulan- 

 , with flowers of similar tint and time of blooming. 



