THE MAGNOLIAS. 



Among the vast number of families of noble and 

 beautiful trees with which nature has so bountifully 

 clothed this continent, the Magnolia holds a promi- 

 nent rank and deserves particular attention. In an 

 nriiamontal point of view, we are inclined to place 

 them among the first. 



Brown, in his " Trees of America," says truly 

 that '-the genus Magnolia embraces the most admi- 

 rable productions of the vegetable world." Loudon, 

 in his Arboretum, describes eight American species 

 and three from China and Japan : 



1. Grandiflora, or large flowered ; 



2. Glauca, or glaucous leaved ; 



?•. TRri'ETiii.A, or three petalled, or umbrella ; 



4. Macropiiylla, or long leaved ; 



5. Acuminata, or pointed leaved ; 



6. Cordata, or heart leaved ; 



7. Auriculata, or auricled leaved ; 



8. Pyramidata, or pyramidal headed ; 



9. CoKSPitUA, (YuLAN, of the Chinese,) or con- 

 spicuous flowered ; 



10. PuRPURKA, or purple flowered, (Japan ;) 



11. Purpurea gracilis, or slender growing, pur- 

 ple flowered, (Japan;) besides many varieties and 

 sub varieties of each, that European cultivators have 

 produced by hybridization. 



The Magnolias and our magnificent Rhododen- 

 drons, or " Mountain Laurel," are among the rarest 

 and most highly pri/.ed ornaments of the parks and 

 l)lcasuro grounds of Europe. No pains or expense 

 is spared to give them the soil, situation, and culture 

 that will induce them to flourish, while here, at home, 

 they arc scarcely to be seen. How rare it is to see 

 a fine Rpecimcn of a Magnolia ! and yet it seems to 



us that every man who can plant half a dozen trees, 

 should desire at least one. Next to the evergreen 

 trees, such as the firs and cedars, we have a partici;- 

 lar love for the Magnolia ; and we hope to see the 

 time when our country people, who are now planting 

 the Horse Chestnut, Mountain Ash, Maple, k.c., by 

 sixes, twelves, twenties, mid even hundreds, will 

 remember that nature has kindly given them others, 

 with which to give variety and beauty to their homo 

 scenery. There are at the present moment avast 

 number of trees planted aroiuul and in our cities and 

 villages, and through the whole country : and if the 

 selection of trees were made with more taste and 

 judg-ment, how much greater would be the improve- 

 ment ! how much more iutercstini; these little planta- 

 tions in the streets and door-yards would be, not only 

 to their possessors, but the public at large ! If a man 

 but plants trees of any sort, we are loth to find fault 

 with him ; but we must take this occasion to suggest 

 to those who may be about to plant, to introduce a 

 variety. The man who has a little town lot, andean 

 plant only half a dozen to a dozen forest trees on the 

 side walk opposite his house, should not plant all 

 Soft .Maj)li;s, or all Buttonwoods, or all Home Ch'st- 

 tmls, or all of any other tree, because his neighbor may 

 have done so. That little plantation is all that he 

 and his family can enjoy daily of "nature's most 

 beautilul productiiui ;" and why not make it as varied 

 as possible ? if we go to the woods for trees, why 

 not get an Elm, a Tulip tree, a Stifrar .Miipte and a 

 -S'o/V Maple, a Linden or li<i:>fie(md, and a Cliestniit, 

 instead ol half a dozen Maiiles nr Buttonwoods. They 

 may not be quite so easily obtained or transplanted, 

 but only a trifling addilionl expense will be incurred. 



