358 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
stones are placed small masses of earth, just above 
the water surface, so that the roots of the fern, 
forget-me-not, and sundew planted there will ex¬ 
tend down into the water. In the centre is the 
Arum, ( Calla JEtheopica), a magnificent ornamen¬ 
tal plant, that always flourishes best in water. The 
plants named above may be substituted. The ani¬ 
mals are perches, minnows, water-beetles, mud- 
snails, &c. 
Fig. 3 is introduced to show an interesting spe¬ 
cies of fish, of diminutive size, called the Stickle¬ 
back, which builds a nest in the water for its eggs. 
VVe must not now take space to narrate the many 
very intereptimt peculiarities of this fish. Our 
readers will find them described at length in an 
English Book, by Noel Humphreys, entitled 
" Ocean and River Gardens.” We are indebted 
to this work for the originals of the figures 2, 3 
and 4. (Fig. 1 was drawn as well as engraved ex¬ 
pressly for the Agriculturist.) We hope some 
American publisher will soon issue a cheap illus¬ 
trated edition of Mr. Humphreys’ work. The 
English edition costs $3. It is, however, beauti¬ 
fully executed, contains 24 finely colored plates, 
and is cheap even at that price. It should be pro¬ 
cured by those who make the first attempts to sup¬ 
ply themselves with Aquariums. 
Fig. 4 is a section of an aquarium which is suf¬ 
ficiently explained by the accompanying notes. 
CHOICE ORNAMENTAL TREES. 
The season for transplanting having again ar- 
ived. we wish to call attention to a few shade 
rees, which, though not very common and pop¬ 
ular throughout the country, are yet ver >r beautiful, 
and worthy the special notice of arboriculturists. 
The Judas tree, or Red Bud ( Cercis canadensis). 
This is not a large tree, it seldom reaches higher 
i ban thirty-five feet. It is found sparsely scat¬ 
hed in' sheltered valleys, in all parts ofthe coun¬ 
try, from Maine to the Carolinas, though it 
abounds most on the banks of the Ohio. We 
have seen it growing even in Florida, but wheth¬ 
er indigenous there or not, we did not learn. » 
The branches of this tree resemble in their 
general outline, a flattened umbrella. The leaves 
are exceedingly neat and pleasant to the eye, be¬ 
ing of medium size, heart-shaped, dark green 
above and silvery underneath, and looking as if 
they had just been washed by a shower. Flowers 
appear upon the twigs early in Spring before the 
leaves put forth. They are small, shaped like the 
pea-blossom, and are of a deep purplish rose-color. 
They grow in clusters completely covering the 
branches, and are conspicuous from quite a dis¬ 
tance. Hence the name, Red Bud. The rosy 
blossoms of this tree combined with the white of 
the dog-wood, and the scarlet of the maple, form 
an agreeable sight in Spring. These flowers are 
succeeded in Summer by brown seed-pods, six or 
eight inches long, which hang on the trees through¬ 
out the Winter. Its name, “Judas Tree,” was 
given it by Gerard, an old English gardener and 
writer, in 1596, who relates that “this is die tree 
whereon Judas did hange himselfe ; and not upon 
the elder-tree, as it is sometimes said.” 
This tree grows rapidly enough anywhere, but 
succeeds best in a cool, moist and half shady sit¬ 
uation. Insects do not infest it, nor does the 
coldest Winter harm it. We do not hesitate to 
recommend it as one of the finest ornamental 
liees of medium size. 
Cucumber Tret, or Magnolia acuminata. This 
is more rarely planted than the Red Bud. The 
impression prevails quite extensively, that it is too 
tender for Northern latitudes; yet it is indigenous 
all along the ridge of the Alleghanies, and even 
sis far north aa Central New-York. It does not 
succeed well in wet soils, yet it prefers one mod¬ 
erately moist and rich. It should be removed 
from the nursery when young, and be well treated 
until thoroughly established; then it will take 
care of itself and reward all the planter’s labors. 
To those who have seen the Cucumber tree we 
need say nothing in its description and praise. 
For the benefit of others, we observe that it is as 
beautiful as any other member of the Magnolia 
family, native or foreign. It is often found eighty 
feet high, and with a trunk three or four feet in 
diameter. Straight and erect as a maple, its top 
is even more symmetrical and majestic. The 
| leaves have quite a tropical look, being six to eight 
inches long and three to four broad. It bears 
flowers six inches in diameter, pale yellow, some¬ 
times tinged with blue, and slightly fragrant. The 
cones (fruit) are three inches long, and when 
green, resemble a cucumber, from which it derives 
its name. Considering the neatness of its bark, 
its erect trunk, its well-balanced head, large 
leaves and flowers and striking fruit, it deserves 
to rank as a first-class tree. As a nice observer 
has said: “ It is just the tree, in its symmetrical 
proportions, for planting on the lawn, or near the 
house, where it harmonizes with the architectural 
expression of the bulding.” 
Tulip Tree or White Wood (Liriodendron tulip- 
ifera). Here we have a larger tree than either of 
the preceding. When growing under the most 
favorable circumstances, it attains a hight of one 
hundred and fortv feet, with a trunk twenty feet 
in girth. The trunk is generally erect, branches 
spreading, leaves large, glossy and of a delicate 
green. The bark on the y«hnger limbs is smooth 
and ash-colored. The leaves are of a peculiar 
shape ; they are five or six inches broad, and at 
the point of their greatest width appear to have 
been abruptly cut off. It has yellow flowers, ap¬ 
pearing in June, in shape like a tulip, (whence its 
name,) composed of six petals which are mottled 
on the inside with red and green. These flowers 
from their contrast with the foliage of the tree, 
are visible at quite a distance and present a showy 
sight. The tree does not blossom until it is ten 
or twelve years old. The tulip tree belongs to 
the family of the magnolias, and is hardly inferior 
as an ornamental tree to any of its relatives. 
Downing says of it: “ Whosoever has once seen 
it 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, sur¬ 
mounted by a fine' ample summit of rich green 
foliage, it is, in our estimation, decidedly the 
most stately tree in North America.” Occasion¬ 
ally, when it is planted in exposed situations, the 
bark ofthe young tree becomes blistered on the 
south side, and its growth materially checked. 
By cutting down a tree so affected, just below the 
injury, we once obtained a handsomer tree than 
when it was originally planted. Several branches 
shot out on every side from the bole and grew up 
luxuriantly into a grand, globular mass of waving 
foliage, which is now the daily delight of our eyes. 
FROSTED TREES. 
A CELLAR TO PROTECT THEM DURING WINTER. 
It not unfrequently happens that the farmer, or 
nurseryman even, receives his bundles of fruit, or 
other trees, in a frosted condition, and loses a 
large part of them through ignorance of the best 
method of managing them when in this state. Of 
course trees are injured by having their roots 
frozen when out of ground, but with judicious 
management the injury which otherwise might 
prove fatal, may be very much lessened. 
When a bundle or box of trees, or plants, is re¬ 
ceived in a frozen state, do not unpack them, but 
place them at once in a cool dark cellar, and al¬ 
low the frost to come out as gradually as may be 
with the admission of as little light as possible 
After the frost has been entirely removed, they 
may be unpacked, and if the ground will admit, 
plant the hardy trees at once, or the whole mav 
be “ heeled-in ” by plowing out a few furrows 
on a dry spot, and laying the trees down close 
together, with their roots in the furrow, and 
cover with five or six inches of soil. The trunks 
and limbs should be left exposed. Nurserymen 
often have a cellar on purpose for the reception 
of trees arriving from France and England during 
the Winter. They select a dry spot, with a sandy 
soil if possible, and having excavated the earth 
for four or five feet in depth, of the desired size, 
erect stone or brick walls around the sides six or 
seven feet in hight, and cover with a span roof, 
having windows inserted in it. An entrance of 
ample size is provided upon the outer side, se¬ 
cured by both trap and inner door, the more ef 
fectually to exclude frost. If the soil on the bot¬ 
tom is hard or stony, one foot of sand may be 
carted and spread over it. Into this cellar bun¬ 
dles of trees are put upon arrival, (if in the Win¬ 
ter season,) opened at a proper time, and the 
trees set out in rows, to remain till Spring. The 
rows are very near each other, just admitting a 
person between them, and three to six trees may 
be set abreast each other in the row, thus econo¬ 
mizing space. A barn or other cellar might be 
used for a similar purpose. 
'PLANTING TREES. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
I have just read J. F. Hunt’s communication ir 
the October number, on digging holes and plant¬ 
ing trees, and before finishing his “deephole dig 
ging,” I jumped at the conclusion, viz.:. one grand 
failure. I often get quite nervous when one talks 
of digging deep holes in hard pan and filling up 
with rich composts, as I once fell into one of 
these three-feet-holes, taking a Winter soak, 
while in an absorbing pursuit of a flock of quails. 
Experience teaches that in planting, the roots 
should continue their growth in the same straight 
forward manner in which they commenced. The 
holes should be very broad, but should not extend 
one inch into the hard-pan or impervious clay. 
You may enrich the soil in which the roots are to 
grow to your heart’s content, but do not decoy 
them down into a hard-pan trap, where after gorg¬ 
ing themselves for a season the roots are left to 
water-rot in their attempts to penetrate a stiff 
clay. Never stake trees for an orchard. They 
will rebound from a hard wind, but the stakes will 
not. If the trees lean to one side root-prune 
upon that side in the Spring, and straighten them 
by degrees after rai..s. For planting peach trees, 
an old Pennsylvania adage runs “ a careful taker 
up and a lazy planter,”—meaning good roots and 
a shallow hole. After such planting however, if 
not after all planting, the ground should be plowed. 
To those planting trees this Fall I wish to say 
with emphasis, pause when the spade strikes into 
and throws up clay, and listen to the death cry of 
tens of thousands of murdered trees. 
C. G. Siewers. 
Cincinnati, October, 1857 
Remarks. —We say, hard-pan, or no hard-pan, 
dig deep broad holes, and fill in with good surface 
soil, but always provide drainage enough to keep 
the bottom of the holes free from standing water 
at all seasons. If you can not plant one-hundred 
trees on a hard-pan, and provide the necessary 
drainage, then plant fifty. One tree on deep good 
soil is worth two on a shallow soil having an imper 
vious subsoil a few inches from the surface.—TE d 
