FEBRUARY. 
25 
MAGNOLIA LENNE. 
WITH AN ILLUSTRATION. 
All that we know of the history of this plant is that it is reputedly of 
German origin ; that it was met with by Mr. William Paul, of Waltham Cross, 
somewhere in France ; and that, being much taken by its appearance, he pur¬ 
chased it, and, from the stock thus obtained, exhibited a nice plant in flower 
last spring, at one of the meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society, when it 
received the award of a first-class certificate, which it well deserved. For are 
not its vase-like flowers amongst the noblest to be met with in a race of plants 
famous for its nobility of character ? and, in the high qualities of form and 
substance, which the horticultural improver ever seeks to impart to those 
flowers -which more especially share his favour, is it not superior to any other 
of this class of Magnolias which have yet appeared ? Such, at least, were what 
we gathered to be the general opinions respecting it when Mr. Paul's plant 
w r as shown. 
This Magnolia is one of the deciduous group, related to M. purpurea and 
M. conspicua. It is probable, indeed, that it may have been obtained either as 
a selected seedling from the latter, or as a cross between the two, which latter 
was the origin of M. Soulangeana , another handsome plant, with the petals 
slightly tinged with purple. In M. Lenne , however, the flowers are not only 
of a deepish purple on the outer surface, and fragrant, but they are very large, 
thus giving it the first rank among the purple-flowered kinds. The margins 
and tips of the petals, w'hich are remarkably smooth and even, are somewhat 
drawn inwards, so as to give them a concave figure, and from this results a 
bluntly obovate outline in the flower when in the bud state or but partially 
expanded; the petals are also remarkable for their substance and consequent 
durability. The interior of the flower is white. It is a most desirable addition 
to hardy flowering shrubs. 
It has often been to us a source of some surprise that comparatively so little 
should have been done with certain of our much-valued hardy shrubs, in the 
way of crossing and seeding, to produce distinct and improved varieties, when 
magnificent results in other directions are not wanting as a lure. The Magnolia , 
one would suppose, offers a very tempting subject to an enterprising hybridist. 
Loudon, indeed, points this out, when he says that M. conspicua ripens seeds 
and fertilises readily with purpurea and gracilis; adding that many new 
varieties may be expected when the attention of cultivators is more especially 
directed to the subject. And yet little has been done, though the subject of 
our present figure may possibly be one result. But why not have an ever¬ 
green purpurea, or a purple-flowered grandiflora ? M. 
THE CULTURE OF THE PINE APPLE. 
1st. The Soil and the Pit. —This, which has been truly named the 
king of fruits, has engaged much of the attention of practical writers on gar¬ 
dening during the last half century, and great improvements have been made 
by many in the various methods of culture. Still there are young men and 
amateurs often making inquiries respecting its culture and general manage¬ 
ment, who possibly may not have had a sufficient opportunity of getting at the 
information they stand in need of. To those it is my intention to make a few r 
practical remarks. 
In the first place, there can be no doubt the selection of the soil for the 
yol. hi. c 
