THE MAGNOLIAS 



of old art treasures — as things to be proud of and 

 grateful for their having been preserved for our edi- 

 fication and enjoyment. And not for ours alone but 

 for that of the generations which come after us. A 

 nation's finest trees should rightly be counted among 

 its most prized national treasures; but of the countries 

 of the world to-day Japan alone regards ancient trees 

 as a national treasure asset ! Such they truly are, and 

 there is no escape from the punishment Nature 

 metes out to lands whose forest growth is destroyed. 

 In this country the price is being exacted, and in 

 countries like China and Korea the multiple interest 

 is so great that the lands groan beneath the burden. 

 With no trees to hold the soil on steep slopes when 

 heavy rains fall, rivers become charged with silt, 

 break their bounds, and destroy everything within 

 their reach — crops, villages, and inhabitants. 



No other genus of hardy or half-hardy trees and 

 shrubs can boast so many excellences as the Mag- 

 nolias. The free-flowering qualities and great beauty 

 of blossoms and foliage are only equalled by the ease 

 with which they may be cultivated. As a single 

 specimen in a conspicuous position on the lawn the 

 Yulan and its hybrids are unrivalled, and as an 

 avenue tree the Cucumber-tree {M. acuminata) is 

 hard to excel. 



All Magnolias grow naturally in moist, rich woods 



'35 



