52 



SHADE TREES FOR NORTH CAROLINA. 



from insects and fungus diseases. Tlie Avood, however, is brittle and fre- 

 quently broken in wind and sleet storms. It decays rapidly on exposure 

 and Avhen pruned must be carefully protected. It has a tendency to 

 sucker around the base of the stem and such sprouts should be promptly 

 remoA-ed. They can often be used for propagation. 



While a smaller tree than the cucumber tree and lacking its symmetry 

 and dignity, the motmtain magnolia is well suited for planting avenues 

 and for use in parks, in the western portion of the State. 



Evergreen Magnolia {Magnolia fwtida) is a native of the southern 

 United States and varieties of it can be cultivated in this State, in shel- 

 tered positions, as far west as the foot of the Blue Eidge, though much of 

 the foliage will often winter-kill west of Ealeigh and Charlotte. 



In cultivation it makes a middle-sized tree attaining a height of 40 feet 

 and reaching, except in favored localities, old age by its sixtieth year. 

 The trunk is excurrent and the smooth bark dark olivacious gray. The 

 crown, formed of numerous horizontal branches, is conical when young 

 and oval at maturity. While there are several horticultural varieties dif- 

 fering slightly in size, shape and shade of the leaves, they are in all forms 

 large, thick, leathery and evergreen. The tiowers, deeply cujD-shaped, 

 from 8 to 10 inches wide, appear in different varieties from May to Jul}^, 

 and are followed l)y the oval red-berried fruit. 



The magnolia can be pruned only in moderation. Care should be taken 

 in develoj)ing young subjects to prevent the formation of forked stems. 

 Only one leader should ever be allowed to remain, and false leaders, which 

 occasionally occur on branches, should be promptly removed. A magnolia 

 should always assume the shape of a pyramid, the foliage mass rising un- > 

 broken from the ground, and for this reason the lower branches should 

 not be removed, but should be trained horizontally, and allowed to grow 

 to their full limit and thicken as much as possible in order to fully conceal 

 the base of the stem. The young subjects should be trained to develop 

 numerous low branches with this object in view. The roots are few, large 

 and fleshy, and penetrate the ground to a considerable depth, requiring for 

 best development a light moist fertile soil. As is the case with the other 

 species of this genus, the magnolia is not easily transplanted. The best 

 season is late spring and then the leaves should be pulled or clipped and 

 only small specimens i;sed. Magnolias can be used to best advantage for 

 street planting only in alternation with other species, and are not adapted 

 for general street planting, but permit of occasional use on parking strips, 

 etc. In planting along avenues and drive-ways, specimens should never 

 be placed within 15 feet of them to allow for the future spread of the 

 lower branches. 



