MAGNOLIA, 



15 



in Malaya, one in Portorico, two in Mexico, and the remaining half dozen 

 hail from the United States. 



As pointed out by Professor C. S. Sargent in his " Forest Flora of Japan," 

 arborescent members of the Magnolia family reach, in Japan, the most north- 

 ern limit attained in any country by these plants. In eastern North America 

 two Magnolias reach nearly as high altitudes as the genus does in Japan, but 

 in the United States Magnolia is really southern, and has only succeeded in 

 maintaining a precarious foothold at the north, while in Yezo it is a most 

 important element and a conspicuous feature of the forest vegetation. 



No other genus of hardy or half-hardy trees and shrubs can boast of so 

 many excellences as the Magnolias. The free-flowering qualities and great 

 beauty of some of the Japanese and Chinese species, such as conspicua, ohovata, 

 stellata, parviflora, etc., are only equalled by the ease with which they can be 

 cultivated. As a single specimen in a conspicuous position on grass, at any rate 

 in the south of England, M. conspicua and some of its hybrids and allies are 

 absolutely unrivalled. No lover of gardening who has ever seen the trees of 

 the Yulan at Syon, Gunnersbury Park, or Kew, could ever forget the effect 

 produced by their numberless snowy flowers. M. grandiflora, too, is perhaps 

 the finest of all wall plants in our climate, and some of the deciduous kinds of 

 considerably hardier constitution are in the first rank of ornamental trees for 

 the adornment of parks and pleasure grounds. Apart from the large and showy 

 flowers of some of these, they would still occupy a high rank for the beauty 

 and distinct character of their foliage. The seeds of Magnolias contain a 

 considerable quantity of oil, and therefore travel badly, retaining — under ordi- 

 nary conditions — their vitality for but a comparatively limited period ; packed 

 tightly in clay or damp earth, however, they retain their germinative power 

 several months. 



It cannot be too often repeated that Magnolias are moisture lovers and 

 detest drought ; they should, therefore, not be planted where they are wind- 

 swept. A good, rich, deep soil, too, is a desideratum ; given the conditions 

 just mentioned, much better results would be obtained than under those with 

 which Magnolias have to be contented as a rule. 



For convenience of reference the species mentioned below are divided into 

 two groups, viz. : those which flower before the leaves appear and those in 

 which the blossoms appear after the leaves. For a similar reason the species 

 are, in each group, arranged alphabetically and not in botanical sequence. 



Flowers appearing before the Leaves. 



M. Campbellii. — It is very unfortunate that to this country some years ago. Being found at 



this superb species — one of the most splendid of the elevations of from 8,000 to 10,000 feet along the 



flowering trees of temperate climates — has not ful- outer Himalayas, it was expected that the climate of 



filled the hopes centred on it when it was introduced Britain would not prove too severe. Such, however, 



