THE FLOWER rrAllDEN. 



817 



botany,) and its varieties, as a timber-tree ; and many of tlie 

 species are also extremely interesting for their graceful habiti 

 and diversity of foliage. The Hort. Soc. seems, from its col- 

 lection of this genus, to pave the way for their more general 

 cultivation. The various species may be propagated by being 

 grafted upon the Dutcli or English sorts. 



The Date Plum, Diospyros Lotus and D. virgimana : 

 the former a native of the south of Europe, and the latter of 

 America ; two interesting species. From the bruised fruit of 

 the latter, cakes are formed, which are dried in an oven, and 

 warm water being added to tliem, produce a liquor which, 

 when fermented, is used as beer. With us, the fruit is not 

 likely ever to arrive at any degree of perfection, but the beauty 

 of the foliage is sufficiently interesting to deserve a place iu 

 our shrubberies or upon our lawns. 



The Hornbeam family. — The common hornbeam, C«/- 

 pinus Betulus, attains the size of a tree of the first class when 

 raised from seed, but unfortunately this tree, like too many 

 of our best ornamental trees, are propagated from layers ; by 

 which mode of propagation, they are found to succeed at al- 

 most any period of the year. The consequence is, that so 

 few trees of this species are to be met with of a full size ; a 

 stinted progeny being the reward of a mode of propagation so 

 unnatural. 



Almond family.— Of these, the common almond, Amyg- 

 dalns commtmis, is well known for the beauty of its blossoms 

 in spring ; of this species we possess several varieties. The 

 A. communis is supposed to have been introduced from Africa 

 into Italy, and thence into this country; and although a fruit- 

 bearing tree, still with us it cannot be considered generally as 

 being valued for that property, as for the beauty of its blossom. 

 It attains the size of a tree of the fourth class, and produces 

 ripe fruit in favorable situations. 



The Tulip-tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, attains with us 

 the size of a large and lofty tree, and is well suited for the 

 lawn or arboratum ; the beauty of its foliage, together with 

 its large white flowers, render it altogether one of the most 

 interesting of our large growing trees for garden scenery. In 



5i{ 



