DECIDUOUS TEEES. 
29 
There are also numerous fancy varieties, such as the tricolor, 
variegated-leaved, purple-leaved, cut- leaved, etc., etc., all of 
which are curious, and desirable in grounds of large extent ; but 
in places where a limited number only can have place, the 
purple-leaved is the one particularly desirable. Its leaves are 
purplish underneath and pale green above when fully expanded ; 
and at midsummer and thereafter until the fall of the leaf, every 
breeze that ruffles and disturbs them produces a singular and 
pleasing effect in contrast with the foliage of other varieties. 
The ash-leaved maple or box elder (negundo fraxinifolium) 
is a very rapid-growing variety, of great beauty from its peculiar 
formed leaves and its pale green smooth young wood. It makes 
a large tree when grown in a deep, rich, moist soil ; but in a light 
sandy loam or good garden soil, it forms a tree of medium size, 
that from its color of young wood in winter is exceedingly 
attractive and pleasing. It groups admirably with pines. 
As a family, the maples have in themselves perhaps more of 
the elements for ornamental uses than any other; for when 
planted singly they are nearly all beautiful, some of them par- 
ticularly so ; and such is their diversity of foliage in spring and 
autumn, that a group of maples alone combines some of the 
most pleasing contrasts obtained in landscape adornment. 
Magnolia. — To this family, many varieties of which are the 
pride of our Southern States, too little attention is given by the 
majority of tree planters; whether it is that good plants are 
difficult to be obtained, or whether it is because the trees are 
rather sensitive and unwilling to be carelessly and negligently 
handled when transplanting, we find few planters make room 
for them on their lists or in their grounds ; but how any land- 
scapist can form an extensive group of evergreens and deciduous 
trees without using magnolias, is beyond our comprehension. 
In our experience, we have found no difficulty when transplant- 
ing, provided we kept the roots from cold drying winds or clear 
