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LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
not grow naturally within 100 or 150 miles of the sea- 
coast ; and the Tulip tree may be considered as in some 
measure supplying their place in the middle Atlantic 
states. West of the Connecticut river, and south of the 
sources of the Hudson, this fine tree may be often seen 
reaching in warm and deep alluvial soils 80 or 90 feet in 
height. But in the western states, where indeed the 
growth of forest trees is astonishingly vigorous, this tree 
far exceeds that altitude. The elder Michaux mentions 
several which he saw in Kentucky, that were fifteen and 
sixteen feet in girth ; and his son confirms the measure- 
ment of one, three miles and a half from Louisville, which, 
at five feet from the ground, was found to be twenty-two 
feet and six inches in circumference, with a corresponding 
elevation of 130 feet. 
The foliage is rich and glossy, and has a very peculiar 
form ; being cut off, as it were, at the extremity, and 
slightly notched and divided into two-sided lobes. The 
breadth of the leaves is six or eight inches. The flowers, 
which are shaped like a large tulip, are composed of six 
thick yellow petals, mottled on the inner surface with red 
and green. They are borne singly on the terminal shoots, 
have a pleasant, slight perfume, and are very showy. 
The seed-vessel, which ripens in October, is formed of a 
number of scales surrounding the central axis in the form 
of a cone. It is remarkable that young trees under 30 or 
35 feet high, seldom or never perfect their seeds. 
Whoever has once seen the Tulip tree in a situation 
where the soil was favorable to its free growth, can 
never forget it. With a clean trunk, straight as a 
column, for 40 or 50 feet, surmounted by a fine, ample 
summit of rich green foliage, it is, in our estimation; 
