14 



THE ELOWEB GABDEiN". 



breaking, not too abruptly, lines of building, besides 

 sheltering the mansion from gusty winds, and serving as 

 a blind against intrusive gazers. The "Weeping "Willow 

 has the advantage of leafing early, and also of retaining 

 its foliage late. Cuttings raised from Napoleon's Willow 

 differ somewhat from those usually grown in England, 

 and have therefore the merit of novelty as well as of 

 historic interest. Magnolias, trained against a wall, will 

 not unfrequently produce their immense, white, power- 

 fully-scented flowers within the precincts of a city, not 

 to mention their evergreen foliage. Another class of 

 materials suitable for town gardens, on account of their 

 highly artificial aspect, are the trees and shrubs with 

 blotched, speckled and mottled leaves, — as ivy, aucuba, 

 syriiiga, althaeas, maples, rhododendrons, and others, 

 making altogether a long list. Some of these variegated 

 plants, being of delicate constitution, require extra atten- 

 tion to their soil and pruning. In England, town trees 

 scarcely receive so much attention as is bestowed on them 

 in Paris, and as, in fact, they well deserve. Along the 

 Boulevards, and in many private and public gardens in 

 the Erench metropolis, are to be seen fine specimens, 

 both young and old, of a tree called Ailantlius gJandulosus^ 

 which is scarcely ever heard of here, and which, indeed, is 

 by no means common in this country. It is very handsome 

 while still quite young, may be easily made to run up 

 with a tall straight stem before forming its bold spread- 

 ing head, and, as Dr. Lindley observes, independent of 

 its value as timber, it has good qualities, even in an 

 ornamental point of view, which ought to have saved it 

 from neglect ; for it is perfectly hardy, has a most noble 

 aspect, and grows excessively fast. It is a native of the 

 northern provinces of China, and may be rapidly propa- 

 gated in England from suckers, which it produces freely. 

 The tree had been growing nearly thirty years in this 

 country before its introduction into Erance ; and now, 

 while it is forgotten here, both there and in Italy it is 

 much valued as a tree for shading public walks, and is 

 planted for that purpose, as well as in gardens, together 



