30 
LAWN AND SHADE TREES. 
burning suns ; exposure to either of which, by reason of their 
soft, spongy texture, is injurious, and often destructive of life. 
Of the varieties all are beautiful, but some are not perfectly 
hardy when grown in our Northern States. A sandy loamy soil 
suits them best ; but if it is strictly dry, the trees of some varieties, 
as macropJiylla , etc., are liable to die out in from five to ten 
years. We prefer to make our soil, when not naturally suited, 
by digging a place three to four feet deep and eight to ten feet 
Fig. 11.— Magnolia Acuminata. 
diameter, and fill it with light, rich, fresh top soil drawn from 
the woods. 
The magnolia acuminata , or cucumber-tree as it is frequently 
called, is very upright and regular, almost cone-like in its form, 
and for backgrounds or the center of groups one of the most 
desirable of all deciduous trees. It is also one of the very best 
trees for parks or public grounds, as it is almost if- not entirely 
free from insects, and grows very rapidly while young. For 
