H4 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 320. 



of stout pseudo-bulbs, racemes a foot and a half long, 

 clothed with numerous handsome flowers, each over an 

 inch in diameter ; sepals white, petals pale yellow, with 

 purplish markings and the lips rose-purple. The descrip- 

 tions look promising, but we cannot compliment Herr 

 Kranzlin on the choice of specific names, which are too 

 cumbrous. 



An experimental fruit-farm is about to be formed near 

 Woburn, in Bedfordshire, by the Duke of Bedford, who 

 takes a special interest in all questions affecting the fruit 

 supply of this country. It is in contemplation to form at 

 first a model orchard, in order to investigate, both scien- 

 tifically and practically, the culture of hardy fruits. About 

 twenty acres of land in the neighborhood of Woburn Abbey 

 have been set apart for the purpose, and are to be placed 

 under the superintendence of Mr. Iggulden, a good horti- 

 culturist, who has been for many years gardener to the 

 Earl of Cork and Orrery at Marston House, Frome, Somer- 

 set, and who is well known as an able writer on practical 

 fruit-culture and other horticultural matters. The Duke of 

 Bedford is setting an example which county councils here 

 might well follow : To teach the uninitiated what to grow 

 and how to grow it. A few model orchards or gardens, 

 such as is here proposed, would be infinitely more suc- 

 cessful than lectures in school-rooms with blackboard illus- 

 trations. Gardening requires to be seen in operation and 

 assisted at before it can be understood. „. „. , 



London. W. WdlSOn. 



Cultural Department. 



Early-flowering Magnolias. 



FEW shrubs or small trees attract so much attention when 

 in blossom as do the early-flowering Magnolias, the flower- 

 buds of which open before the leaves expand. These 

 flower-buds are fully formed during the previous summer, 

 are large and conspicuous during the winter and are densely 

 covered with thick strong hairs or pubescence; while the later- 

 flowering species have much smaller buds and the hairy cov- 

 ering often appears much less developed, or it may be entirely 

 wanting. All of the early-flowering Magnolias known in our 

 gardens have been received from Japan or China, the Magno- 

 lias native to our eastern North America all belonging to the 

 class which flowers after the leaves have expanded, as do also 

 a number of species indigenous in eastern Asia. 



There are only four recognized species of the early-flower- 

 ing group in cultivation, but from these there have been pro- 

 duced a number of hybrids or varieties which have received 

 latinized names. Magnolia conspicua and M. obovata are the 

 best known of the four species, and forms derived from tiiese 

 are most common in gardens. 



Magnolia conspicua, or M. Yulan, as it is sometimes called, 

 is a most beautiful species when covered with its large lily- 

 like pure white blossoms. It is perfectly hardy in Massachu- 

 setts, and in Boston and vicinity it is usually in full bloom 

 about the first week of May, but varying according to the sea- 

 son and location. In 1888 a few of its flowers were open on 

 May 8th ; in 1889 on April 23d ; it was in full bloom May 1st, 

 1890; thesame plant was equally advanced April 25th, 1891, 

 and on May 2d, 1892. Trees of this species are uncommon 

 about Boston. A specimen on Beacon Street, although not 

 large, always attracts much attention when in full flower, and in 

 the shelter of the city buildings it may blossom a little earlier 

 than the dates given. In this climate Magnolia conspicua may 

 become a symmetrical little tree twenty-five feet or more in 

 height. The plants purchased from nurserymen are almost 

 invariably grafted, and they will begin to blossom when three 

 or tour feet high, and the bloom will increase with the age of 

 the plant. 



Magnolia obovata is a species closely allied to and used to 

 hybridize with M. conspicua, but the aboriginal form is a very 

 rare plant in our gardens, and is not considered very hardy. 

 It is hardly more than a large shrub, having large flowers, 

 which are of a deep purple color on the outside and creamy- 

 white within. In cultivation it is best represented by the plant 

 known as M. Lenne, which resembles it very closely in many 

 respects and which is supposed to be a hybrid between M. 

 obovata and M. conspicua. M. Lenng is quite hardy in this 

 climate and becomes a large broadly spreading bush. It does 

 not always flower so profusely as M. conspicua or as some of 

 the other hybrids which are better known. Of these latter 



M. Soulangeana is probably the most familiar in American 

 gardens. It has much the same habit of growth as M. con- 

 spicua, but has somewhat smaller white flowers, and these 

 are tinted or streaked with purple on the outside, especially 

 near the base. Besides this, there are several other very sim- 

 ilar forms with purple-tinted flowers, which have received 

 specific names from nurserymen, and which are often not to 

 be distinguished from M. Soulangeana in general aspect. 

 Where only one plant of this type can be afforded, M. Soulan- 

 geana should be selected. The others may be added if all 

 slight variations are desired. These pass under the names of 

 M. speciosa, M. Norbertiana, M. superba, M. stricta, M. Alex- 

 andrina, M. Candolleana, etc. 



All of these hybrids, being propagated by grafting, begin 

 to flower when quite young, and the blossoms open some 

 days later than those of M. conspicua. 



These Magnolias have a strong and peculiar odor, not really 

 disagreeable, yet not wholly agreeable, to most persons. In 

 another early-flowering species, however, the flowers have a 

 sweet fragrance which most people like. This is Magnolia 

 stellata, sometimes called M. Halleana, which, although 

 usually seen as a low and spreading shrub, may attain to a 

 height of ten feet or more. It is still rare in American gar- 

 dens, but is fast becoming better known. Its flowers are pure 

 white, about three inches in diameter, and they appear earlier 

 than those of any other species if planted in a warm situation. 

 It is a most attractive plant when in full bloom, and it pos- 

 sesses the merit of beginning to bear a few flowers when only 

 a foot or two high. It will grow in any good soil, and may be 

 planted with good effect in a well-made rockery. 



The fourth species of early-flowering Magnolia in cultivation 

 is M. Kobus, known also as M. Thurberi. It promises to be- 

 come a good-sized tree, and as yet it has shown little inclina- 

 tion to flower freely. Its blossoms are pure white and quite 

 fragrant, and if the tree blooms freely when of mature age it 

 must prove very handsome. It is perfectly hardy in this cli- 

 mate, and, although still very rare, it is likely to soon find 

 places in many gardens. 



Most of the early-flowering Magnolias sold by nurserymen 

 are grafted plants, and in this country they are usually grafted 

 on the Umbrella-tree, M. tripetala, or upon stock of the Cu- 

 cumber-tree, M. acuminata, and the latter is generally to be 

 preferred. They will thrive in any good soil, provided it is 

 well drained, but not too dry. A peaty soil seems particularly 

 suited to them. They should be transplanted in spring, and it 

 is safest not to do this too early, but to wait until the buds 

 burst. If planted too early the very fleshy roots of all Magno- 

 lias which have been cut or bruised are likely to be affected by 

 decay, but if moved when growth has started, healing of the 

 wounded parts begins at once, and there is less danger of in- 

 jurious effects. 



Arnold Arboretum. J • Cr. Jack. 



Some Points in Pruning Fruit-trees. 



I HAVE often observed that when farmers and others who 

 have set out fruit-trees are asked why they have neglected 

 to prune them, the reply is that they do not know rightly how 

 to prune, and they fear, in cutting off branches, that they may 

 do more harm than good. Sometimes this excuse is really one 

 of laziness or indifference, but more commonly it is true. It 

 is a puzzling thing to thin out the head of a neglected fruit- 

 tree, even to a man of experience ; and, as a matter of fact, few 

 men, if any, however large their experience, will entirely agree 

 as to what shall be cut and what left. 



There is a conservative surgery of the orchard, and skillful 

 work will be justified in its results, when compared with mere 

 cutting and slashing. To begin with the young tree from the 

 nursery, two or three years old, it must first be understood that 

 perfect spacing of limbs at that age is out of the question. The 

 young trees must be allowed to grow awhile before much can 

 be done toward fixing the frame-work of the tree. A young 

 tree of four feet in height does not afford the room, when the 

 proper allowance of bare trunk is made, for final limb-spacing. 

 The top of such a tree is too low to allow for the height of even 

 the lowest limb of the bearing orchard-tree, which should not 

 be lower than five feet. Yet it is right that the lower limbs of 

 the tree should be left to grow until the tree is so well estab- 

 lished as to make an annual growth on leading limbs of one 

 to two feet. When the tree is thus well under way we may 

 begin carefully to rub out buds and select the position of 

 limbs, holding always in mind that the ultimate spacing can- 

 not be established for several years, because the required 

 space does not yet exist. This early pruning is provisional, 

 and more or less temporary ; but the future tree must be in 

 the mind's eye from the start. 



