H 
PARK AND CEMETERY, 
MAGNOLIA KOBUS. 
It is not uncommon to meet with photographs 
of magnolias showing their flowers, but to see them 
illustrated when in fruit is a treat we rarely meet 
with. Yet many of them, the Magnolia tripetala 
for me, is more to be admired when in fruit than 
when in flower, as its large oblong pods of carmine 
color, set in their background of large green, 
tropical looking leaves, form a lovely picture. 
There is another one, M. Kobus, from Japan, 
as its name would indicate, which attracts more be- 
cause of the oddity of shape of its pods than any- 
thing else, though its numerous carmine colored 
pods in late summer are far from being unattractive. 
This species when young is sparing of its flowers, 
but as it adds to its years it does also to the num- 
ber ot its flowers, so that in the course of time it 
M.^GNOLIA KOIU'S. 
eclipses in its productiveness almost every other 
species of the same age and size. One reason for 
this floriferous feature is that it is a very twiggy 
grower. Ordinary magnolias make a few stout 
shoots and but few small ones. Kobus does just 
the opposite. It is almost as twiggy as a horn- 
beam, and each twig or shoot is surmounted with a 
flower bud, as other magnolias are, which is the 
reason for the great wealth of bloom. The flowers 
are of fair size, yet much smaller than conspicua, 
the well-known Yulan, or Chinese white, in color, 
white, and they come in advance of the foliage, as 
do all the Chinese and Japanese sorts. 
I have mentioned the odd-looking fruit this 
species, Kobus, presents, and knowing the readers 
of this publication would be pleased to see it, I 
had some photographs of it taken last autumn. 
Though the mass of foliage somewhat hides many 
of the pods there are enough of them visible to show 
their grotesque forms. A very common form is that 
of a newly hatched young bird. Hundreds of pods 
on the tree these shoots were taken from were just 
of this shape. The bulging parts of the pods are 
caused by the seeds within. There is a seed under 
each protuberance. In time, when the seeds are 
ripe and the time has come, the pods crack open 
and display the orange red seeds within. When 
thus open the singular look of some pods is in- 
creased. If the reader will look at the cluster of 
twigs in the vase there will be seen a pod which has 
opened and displayed two seeds, giving, with the 
assistance of the foliage, a singular resemblance to 
the head of a poodle. Last summer 'a botanical 
class happening near this tree was attracted to it 
and nearly every member took a pod along as a 
great curiosity. This species is much admired for 
its handsome habit ot growth, as well as for what 
has been said of it. It forms a large tree, with a 
broadly conical outline, and so regular is its growth 
that but few would believe it was made without 
having been pruned at all. This growth it assumes 
at the start, and does not wait till it is full grown 
before accomplishing it, as so many trees do. 
When first introduced it was under the name of 
Thurberi, and it is yet in some collections under 
this name, but Kobus is correct. Now, a word or 
two about the planting of this and all other mag- 
nolias. There is no disputing that as a class there 
are none of them easily transplanted. But the 
kinds mentioned in these notes are not so hard to 
transplant as are the tree species of our own 
country, such as acuminata, tripetala, Fraseri and 
the like. But one and all should be transplanted 
in spring only and should be closely pruned. 
Taken just as they are about to grow, in late 
spring, cut back about one-half, but little loss will 
occur, otherwise many of the tree sorts may miss. 
As a rule, it is useless to transplant in the fall. 
Some nurseries are growing them in pots that they 
may be planted at any time at all. 
Joseph Meehan. 
A STUDY IN THE ARNOLD ARBORETUM. 
When one enjoys both analysis and pictures, 
one analyzes pictures of course. We have tried to 
analyze the illustration, a view in the Arnold Ar- 
boretum, which we have enjoyed studying and 
attempting to discover v/hat in its design is good, 
what not so good but necessary to use as part of 
an Arboretum, and what is not good at all. 
This scene, while it is a pleasing landscape, 
would probably never be chosen for representation 
upon canvas. Utilitarian purposes as an Arboretum, 
prevent its becoming a good composition. The 
necessity of using all available room tor exhibiting 
trees and shrubs make it lacking in both unity and 
breadth. Yet its elements, the sweep of the hill, 
the general pastoral effect and its trees, are indi- 
