30 



LAWN AND SHADE TREES. 



burning suns ; exposure to either of which, by reason of their 

 soft, spongy texture, is injurious, and often destructive of life. 

 Of the varieties all are beautiful, but some are not perfectly 

 hardy when grown in our Northern States. A sandy loamy soil 

 suits them best ; but if it is strictly dry, the trees of some varieties, 

 as macrophylla, etc., are liable to die out in from five to ten 

 years. We prefer to make our soil, when not naturally suited, 

 by digging a place three to four feet deep and eight to ten feet 



Fig. 11. Magnolia Acuminata. 



diameter, and fill it with light, rich, fresh 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 its form, 

 and for backgrounds or the center of groups one of the most 

 desirable of all deciduous trees. It is also one of the very best 

 trees for parks or public grounds, as it is almost if not entirely 

 free from insects, and grows very rapidly while young. For 



