PARK AND CEMETERY. 
253 
cold frame, to get a little hardening, and are planted 
in their permanent positions about the close of May. 
The location of this avenue was where the 
soil was naturally deep and good, but nevertheless 
a little manure was given each plant, as a send off, 
resulting in the magnificent growth the picture 
represents. 
The walk itself was 6 ^ feet wide, and the 
plants set 7 feet apart. The outside branches were 
not disturbed, but the inside ones were tied some 
to the right and some to the left, as they appeared. 
At the time of the taking of the photograph, whicli 
was at the close, of autumn, the plants were 16 feet 
in height. 
The castor oil plant is, botanically, Ricinus 
communis. As with some other plants, though but 
an annual plant with us, it is an arborescent shrub 
in warmer regions. Castor oil is yielded by the 
seeds of the plant. Besides its common name, it 
is also known under another, Palma-Christe. 
Its flowers are disposed in racemes at the 
apices of the branches, the upper ones male, the 
lower ones, female. 
The castor oil plant is naturalized in most all 
tropical regions, but its home is thought to be of 
tropical African origin. 
There are many other objects of horticultural 
interest in Mr. Morris's grounds, but I must content 
myself without mentioning them on this occasion. 
Joseph Meehan. 
MAGNOLIA GLAUCA, 
MONO the most beautiful 
and interesting of our 
native ornamental trees, 
is the Sweet Bay, or Mag- 
nolia glaiica. ‘‘Sweet 
Bay” is local. 
It has a long coast 
range, generally growing 
in swamps, from New 
Jersey and Massachusetts, through the Southern 
States, around to Galveston, Texas, and in 
Southern California. The tree is strictly ever- 
green south of Maryland, but further north is 
deciduous. 
Contrasted with Magnolia grandijlora in the 
south, the Sweet Bay is charming in its wild growth. 
The tree is less in size, the leaves are less, and the 
flowers perfect miniatures of M. grandiflora, smaller, 
sweeter and whiter. The M. grandijlora has large 
creamy white flowers like upturned goblets and 
M. glanca has, silvery white upturned flowers, like 
small porcelain cups. 
Although a forest tree. Sweet Bay is univer- 
sally popular for arboretums, gardens, parks, and, in 
some cases, for streets. The neat size recommends 
it for narrow streets; and for wide streets it is 
adapted in double rows, making a shaded avenue 
lovely to behold. 
In 15^4 the chronicles begin of the Magnolia, 
or “Swamp Laurel”, on Pamlico Sound as a frag- 
rant and comely tree. The glanca, specific, 
was given by Linnaeus, to describe the light, sil- 
very green under surface of the shining leaves; but 
the old name Magnolia laitri-folia clung to it until 
this century. From the first discovery, the tree 
was admired. Specimens were sent to Pmgland in 
1690 and w'ere planted successfully in the Plpisco- 
pal garden, by the Bishop of London. It is recorded 
that in 1690, the Rev. Cotton Mather, prosecuting 
witches, on one of his journeys from Salem to Glou- 
cester, was attracted by exquisite fragrance issuing 
from the wooded depths of a piece of swampy land. 
Investigation proved the source to be Magnolia 
glanca, then called Bay, Laurel and Beaver-treb. 
The latter name still clings to it in some localities*, 
as beavers are fond of the roots and feed upon them. 
The Rev. Cotton Mather gave prominence 
to the land thereabout, which has been since known 
by the town Magnolia. 
This tree has a history, as one of the first rare 
discoveries in the forests of North America. Its 
popularity extended to Europe and we read of fre- 
quent demands for new shipments of cones for 
planting, sent to this country. As a shrub in some 
places, and as a tree in other localities, its popu- 
arity has not waned. 
