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thin, five to ten inches long. Mowers pale greenish yellow, three or four 

 inches broad, and very fragrant. The fruit, cone two to three inches long, 

 and when young resembles a small cucumber ; hence its name, cucumber- tree. 

 Bark and cones highly aromatic and bitter, and are often used as a tonic. 



This is the largest and best timber tree of all the magnolias, often growing 

 70 feet high, with a fine, straight stem of soft, light-colored and fine-grained 

 wood, not very liable to check in seasoning, resembling the wood of the tu- 

 lip tree ; and is much used for making wooden bowls, trays, &c. As this tree 

 grows plentifully in New York, in our own latitude, in the rich woods, with 

 the sugar maple, we may presume that it can be produced here by planting 

 the seeds ; and be made profitable, since it is a Tery rapid growing tree and 

 sends up suckers from the stump to perpetuate itself when once cut down. 

 Such as have been tried, hare proved hardy. 



There are other species of the magnolia, as the magnolia umbrella (umbrella 

 tree,) with leaves from one to two feet long, and white flowers from seven to 

 eight inches broad, and rose-colored fruit; and the magnolia macrophylla 

 (great-leaved magnolia) with leaves two or three feet long, and white flowers 

 nearly a foot broad, and fruit two or three inches in diameter, which make 

 excellent ornamental trees ; but the latter is more tender than the cucum- 

 ber tree. 



To gather the seeds of the magnolias, the cucumbers must be picked as 

 soon as any of the carpels begin to open in September and show the seeds, 

 and spread on a dry floor where they can dry sufficiently to allow the seeds 

 to be shaken or picked out by hand. They must be immediately mixed with 

 sand and put in a cool cellar until spring or sowed in a light, sandy loam, as 

 they loose their vitality if allowed to become dry or become heated in the 

 fruit. Mice are very fond of the seeds, and care must be taken to guard them. 

 The trees have large, fleshy roots, but are easily transplanted, and can stand 

 in the seed b*ed without damage for two years, where they may be protected, 

 as that is their most tender period. 



LIKIODENDKON TULIPIFERI. {Tulip tree— WhiU wood— YeUow poplar.) 



This tree, one of the most magnificent of the American forest trees, is a 

 sub-order of the maguoliacese, and but one species is known to exist. Some- 

 times it grows 140 feet high, and six feet in diameter, with a straight, clean 

 stem 80 feet high. The leaves are very smooth, with two lateral lobes near 

 the base, and two near the apex, and appear as if they were cut off by a 

 broad shallow notch. The three sepals are reflexed petals six in two rows, 

 making a bell-shaped corroUa two inches broad, greenish yellow marked with 

 orange. . The seeds which resemble a long slender key, are formed into a cone 

 while growing, from which they break away when dry and float oflf from the 

 tree. They die on drying. The name is Greek, from lirion, a lily or tulip, 

 and dendron, a tree. 



The tree flowers in May and June, and the seeds ripen about the time the 

 leaves fall, and should be gathered in the cone and sown as soon as ripe in 

 moderately dry soil. They may remain in the seed bed two years if desira- 

 ble, and receive protection during winter; but as the roots arc large and 



