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of tbe last to lose them in the Fall. It, may be 
cutback to any extent withoutbann. though 
if left to itself it forms a small pyramidal tree 
20 feet or more in hight, full of a graceful 
elasticity, and nearly all that could be desired in 
a tree that is necessarily somewhat formal in 
its habit. 
Magnolias. 
The large leaves of tropical vegetation are 
the admiration of Northern people. Hence we 
their striking dissimilarities and several merits. 
Among all of them, however, there are veiy 
few kinds, which, for our acre we should pre¬ 
fer to the other trees mentioned in these notes. 
We may. however, speak a good word for the 
Golden O tk which is treated more at length 
by Mr. Parsons. It has here proven of rapid 
growth through four years, entirely hardy, 
and its leaves in early Spring are of the rich¬ 
est golden color. A part of this reappears in I 
the Fall. 
The Liquidambar, 'or Sweet Gdm.—L. 
8tyraciflua. The very name has always had 
a charm for us, and there is that about the 
tree—in its star-shaped fragrant leaves; its 
queer corky bark; its shapely, elegant form— 
that hightens the charm and really inspires a 
feeling of attachment. It is found in moist 
woods from Connecticut to Illinois and south¬ 
ward, but our readers must not, therefore, 
conclude it will thrive only in moist soils. One 
of the beet specimens we have ever seen grows 
in a sandy soil with a saudy sub-soil so little 
retentive of moisture that the grass burns up 
in tbe Summer. In fact, it may be said there 
are no trees which will not grow to finer 
proportions In a welMrained soil than in one 
upon which water stands or from which it 
slowly disappears. The superb hues which 
liquidambar foliage assumes in Autumn, are 
referred to in another place. The sexes are 
in different llowers (see illustration), 'ihis 
is not an easy tree to transplant. As in the 
case of the tulip, young trees should be selected 
and, unless the roots are uninjured, the stems 
should be severely cut back. 
TnE Sweet Buckeye (Hi^culus flava) as 
it grows here is one of our handsomest lawn 
trees. It has been cut back for several years 
and is now sufficiently supplied with secon¬ 
dary branches to conceal by its large, smooth, 
glossy leaves, the heavier branches which, In 
specimens not cut back, are prejudicial to its 
pact tree that, with its singularly cut leaves 
everybody that sees it admires. 
The Silver Maple (Acer dasycarpum) is one 
of the trees which persons who are in baste 
for foliage and shade usually select Its leaves 
are prettily cut and their silvery color contrasts 
well with leaves of a deeper hue. For small 
places, however, we should omit this in our 
selection. There is too much wood about It. 
The branches are too long and spreading. We 
have tried cutting it back severely, hut its 
growth has been so rapid afterwards that the 
branches would break almost of their own 
weight. 
The Sugar and Scarlet Maples are, it 6eems 
to us, far more desirable in many ways. There 
are also several variegated maples of which 
that called Acer tricolor is the most permanent 
and decided of any with which we are ac¬ 
quainted. There is a new variety of the Silver 
Maple originated by Mr. Weir and called 
Weir’s Cut-leaved Silver Maple. Ellwanger & 
Bairy, who introduced the tree a few years 
ago, speak of it as possessing a habit almost as 
graceful as that of the Cut-leaved Birch, and as 
being easily adapted to small places, if occa¬ 
sionally cut nack. Eograving of the leaf, p. 97. 
Salisburja api antifoi.ia. — Gingko or 
Maiden-hair tree. This is in a marked man¬ 
ner different from all other trees; and thiB 
difference, viewed as to its ornamental quali¬ 
ties at least—is in the leaves, which are fan¬ 
shaped. leathery, parallel-veined and of a dull 
green color. The leaves are as if fifty or more 
of the “needles” of the White Pine had been 
flattened and pressed together into one. it 
combines several of the qualities of the cone¬ 
bearing with those of deciduous trees, aud so is 
said to ne a connecting link between the two. It 
is said to be a rapid grower and to be improved 
by cutting back occasionally, which statements 
are not supported by our own specimen, which, 
though it has been growing m its present 
place for eight years, is butuine feet high. 
It was cut back the second year, from the bad 
effect of which it was slow to recover. Aside 
from its really curious and beautiful leaves 
and the botanical interest which attaches to 
the tree, we see very little about the Gingko to 
commend it to general use. It bears no flow¬ 
ers in this country and, of course, no fruit. 
The leaves appear not until the middle of May 
WITHOUT TREKS OR SHRUBS.—PIG. HSi 
to be preferred. Foremost is the fact that it 
is hardier. While the stems aud flower buds 
of SoulaDge’8 have been harmed during the 
cold season, those of Lennd's have not been 
The flowers are a dark rtddish- 
PICTDUG THIS LAWDSCAPI 
appearance. Tbe llowers are borne [in^long 
racemes of yellowish-wbite flowers whicn are 
not so showy as those of the white or red. The 
new growth surprises one with its rapidity. 
One day we find the buds just breaking, while 
in a few days after, the new shoots are a foot 
in length, and the sudden increase in the size 
of the tree surprises the beholder. There are 
few trees that surpass it in freshness, symme¬ 
try or general beauty. It blooms in middlc- 
May. 
But all of the horse-chestnuts are noble trees 
and their hyacinth-like flowers, if their foliage 
were but ordinary, would suffice to command 
a fair share of admiration. There are a double- 
flowered while, and a doublt-flowered red; 
there isa variety with narrowly cut and crimped 
leaves; another with the leaves dotted with 
white, all of which may be fouud in the cata¬ 
logues of our nurserymen. 
We have faint praise to bestow upon the 
willows in general. A WeepiDg Willow (S. 
Babyloniea) is, to our view, entirely out of 
place abont a country home. It requires too 
much space; it is too infested with insects; 
too short-lived; too sorrowful-looking. 
The Uosemakt-leaved Willow, if cut back 
every year, forms a round, compact head of 
narrow leaves, that some may admire; but if 
left unpruned it loses every vestige of beauty 
in a few years. 
The Laurel-leaved Willow (Salix pen- 
taudra) (P) is the only willow we should prize 
about our home. This has been dissemluated 
by the Rural New-Yokker, and our old 
readers have little to learn regarding il. 
It thrives everywhere. Its leaves are of 
the glossiest, reflecting the light almost like 
mirrors. Its long, smooth branches sway 
In the wind as if they would he broken in 
pieces, though they never are. It is one of 
the first to unfold its leaves in Spring, and one 
touched 
purple (claret) outside and nearly white with¬ 
in. It blooms about the first of May, and pre¬ 
vious notes show that we have counted upon 
a single specimen, bnl five feet high, fifty llow¬ 
ers more or less opened, while half as many 
buds were at the time still to unfold. This was 
before the leaves were much developed. But 
occasional flowers appear during the entire 
season. In August we counted upon the same 
tree 15 buds, six of which were showing the 
petals. The6e flowers continue until frosts. 
They are very large—at least six inches 
across—with niue petals of a balloou shape 
about four inches long. The leaves are firm 
and leathery, of an obovate shape, acuminate 
at both ends, and about eight inches iu length, 
and generally suffused with a bronze color of 
great richness. The little tree grows rapidly, 
four-year-old plants being eight feet lu hight 
and oft-times blooming two years after being 
gratted. A new magnolia called 
M. stellata should have been mentioned 
under shrubs, since, judging from our own 
specimen, it ean scarcely ever hope to attain a 
Bize which would entitle it to tbe name of a 
tree. It bears small white, fragrant flowers 
of several rows of petals early in the 8pring ( 
and is a charming little scrubby, branching 
object. 
The Cucumber Tree (Magnolia acuminata), 
is a native of many States of the Union, and 
grows to a hight of 75 feet or more. But it 
may easily be restrained by a free use of the 
pruning knife, which will at the same time 
greatly Improve its appeal auce by giving it a 
more compact form and a closer spread of 
leaves. The flowers appear in June, of a 
PLANTED TOO DEEP.—PIG. 70. 
Catalpa — Indian Bean. Of alt quick¬ 
growing trees, we should choose this—the Cat¬ 
alpa bignonioides of botanists. It is, we think, 
for this purpose, in every way, preferable to 
the Silver Maple remarked upon above. It is 
more spreading in its habit; the leaves are 
larger; the llowers are no less handsome than 
those of the Horse-chestnut, ft will not how¬ 
ever, Bland the Winters north of New York. A 
with purple foliage has been introduced. The 
leaves are as deeply colored as those of the 
Purple Beech and they retain this color just 
as well. Tbe contrast between such foliage 
and the white stems hightens its beauty. This 
“ Blood Birch," as it has been called, has not 
thus far proved hardy here, losing during the 
cold Beason the entire growth of the Summer. 
We pass by the liDdens as not well adapted to 
our present purpose. The oaks would need a 
Special Number to themselves to touch upon 
