THE ROMANCE OF OUR TREES 



and they detest drought. They will withstand con- 

 siderable hardship and abuse, but the best results 

 are obtained when they are protected from strong 

 winds and are planted in cool, deep soil, rich in humus. 

 An ideal place is open, moist woods. In northern 

 gardens the best time to transplant Magnolias is 

 late in the spring. They may also be moved success- 

 fully in late August, but at either season they must 

 not be allowed to suffer from lack of water, and it is 

 advisable to mulch them with well-decayed manure. 

 These are practical items of the highest importance 

 which no aspirant to success can afford to neglect. 

 Moreover, such magnificent garden plants are worthy 

 of a little extra attention and repay it a hundred- 

 fold. 



The most delightful of American Magnolias hardy 

 in New England is the Sweet Bay (M. virginiana, 

 better known as M. glauca). In the North this is 

 never more than a large bush or small tree, but in 

 the South it is often quite a large tree from 50 to 70 

 feet tall and from 6 to 10 feet in girth of trunk. It 

 has dark green shining leaves which are silvery- 

 white on the underside; in shape they are oblong to 

 somewhat oval; they are leathery in texture, and 

 in moist, sheltered places the plant is sub-evergreen. 

 The bark on the young shoots is a rich apple green 

 and on the older branches it is gray. The flowers 



136 



