11 



occasionally seen in gardens ; and, in addition to the 

 beauty of the plants when in flower, the fruiting cone, — 

 often of a bright color, with, in many cases, the bright 

 scarlet seeds protruding from it on all sides, — gives an 

 additional attraction to these trees. 



The cucumber tree (Magnolia acuminata) is the tall- 

 est. It is found growing wild even in New York State, 

 and it seems strange that this tree is not more frequent- 

 ly met with in cultivation. A very good example of 

 the species is now full of buds, or, perhaps by the time 

 this is printed, in flower, in the yard of Mrs. W. B. 

 Parker at 33 Pleasant street, the only one I have no- 

 ticed from the streets in the city. 



Among the foreign magnolias many horticultural 

 varieties and hybrids are advertised in the dealers' cata- 

 logues. The Yulan or Chinese magnolia (Magnolia 

 conspicua) seems to be the most popular. Dr. A. H. 

 Johnson has a large one in his garden which each year 

 makes a fine show from Winter street ; for, unlike the 

 American magnolias, their foreign cousins mostly expand 

 their showy flowers before there are any leaves upon 

 the tree. There is also a remarkably fine specimen in 

 the yard of Mr. Geo. Hobbs, No. 15 March street, just 

 beyond the bridge over the railroad crossing, and 

 another plant in Mr. Webb's yard on Chestnut street 

 flowered finely this year. The purple magnolia con- 

 trasts well with the creamy white blossoms of the Yulan, 

 and is now just going out of flower in Mr. George 

 Chase's garden on Lafayette street, where probably are 

 to be seen a larger number of rare and odd shrubs and 

 trees than in any other garden in Salem. Mr. Chase 

 also has a tree, perhaps fifteen feet high, of the Japanese 

 magnolia hypoleuca, whose flowers are among the most 



