The Rural Library. 



Magnolias for lawn effects, especially in groups, are not excelled. 

 They are handsome, tall trees of stately form and splendor of growth. 

 They have beautiful flowers that are borne in abundance in early 

 spring and large, rich, glossy foliage. They are better adapted for 

 the lawn than for the street. They should always be transplanted 

 in the spring, and the Chinese species and varieties at the period when 

 they are coming into growth. Use great care in their removal, pre- 

 serve all the fibrous roots possible and protect them from the wind and 

 sun. There are many kinds of magnolias in cultivation, few of which 

 are adapted for shade or street purposes in the north. The hardiest 

 one is the cucumber tree. The swamp laurel or sweet bay { Magnolia 

 glauca) is also hardy as far north as New England, but it rarely 

 attains sufficient size in this latitude to make it valuable for shade. 

 The umbrella tree {^M. tripetala) is useful for a lawn shade tree in 

 the north. M. speciosa, M. Soulangeana and M.Lennei a.re among the 

 best and hardiest foreign kinds. The cucumber tree (M. acuminaia) 

 is a tall-growing, beautiful pyramidal tree. The leaves are long and 

 bluish-green, the flowers yellow, tinged with bluish purple and the 

 fruit when green resembles a cucumber. This grows wild from New 

 York southward. The great-leaved magnolia {M. macrophylla) is a 

 medium sized tree with leaves nearly two feet long and flowers of 

 immense size; not hardy north. Thurber's Japan magnolia (M. 

 Kobus) is one of the tallest of the Chinese magnolias, and has fragrant 

 blush-white flowers. Magnolias will grow in any good soil, but one 

 that is rich, warm and dry is best. 



/Maples ( Acer) are among our most valuable and ornamental trees. 

 They are of large growth, broad rather than high, but often attaining 

 a hight of seventy-five feet or more. They are easily tra nsplanted, 

 and do well in a variety of soils. The head is symmetrical an3 spread- 

 ing, casting a good shade, but not too dense. In rows along streets 

 they are especially fine, and being vigorous growers and free from 

 disease, they are deservedly popular for this purpose. The white, 

 silver-leaved or soft maple (A . dasycarptnn) is a rapid growing tree, 

 and has foliage bright green above and silvery beneath. The sugar, 

 hard or rock maple (.4. sacckarintDii) is of slower growth than the 

 former, but more symmetrical and desirable. The red or swamp 

 maple (W. riibrum) is a small tree, with small, rather light foliage. 



