The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-04-12
The Magnolia Grandiflora.


the North who have never seen this beautiful tree
IN blossom. They can enjoy that pleasure now, as
one is just in bloom in the little garden on Royal
street, Immediately in the rear Of the st. Louis
Cathedral The tree is very small, so that the
flower is brought near-in fact, it is the smallest
tree we have ever seen produce flowers. A single
delicate shrub like this gives no idea Of the beauti-
full effect produced bya grove or forest, of gigan-
tic trees-their rich, polished leaves, dotted with
the large, white, fragrant flowers.
In the Parish Of Avoyelles there is belt of these
trees about mile wide, and extending some fifteen
or twenty miles In the course of few days, a
ride through this grove will be most intoxicating
to the senses. In the extreme northwest of the
State-in the Parish of DeSoto-there are also
forests of these trees. They bloom little later
some time in May.
In the course of our vagabond reading some
time ago, we came across an account Of the first
Magnolia which lowered in France. The tree
was in the Botanical Garden of Marseilles, and
had been planted forty years. The botanists had
given up all hope of ever seeing it in blossom.
One Spring in the early part of this century, it
gave symptoms Of being in delicate situation.
The savans of Paris were in as high an excitement
as are now the grandees of Spain. Hundreds of
them visited Marseilles to view the beautiful sight
Some few years ago, tho Liliodendron Tulipi.
fera, of the Jardm des Plantes, bossomed, and it
was nine days wonder. Fashion gave it her
sanction, and for season it was quite the ton A
young Kentuckian, hearing SO much of the tree
with the long name" determined to see that, as
well as all the other sights of the CITY, What was
his establishment discovering in the much-talked
Of tree one of his old acquaintance - and with
infinite disdain he turned on his heel with the re.
mark: Why it 3 nothing but popar!" Il is
too often the case, that familiarity with objects of
beauty or grandeur, both in the physical and moral
world, weakens the impression they at first pro.
duce. A eanny Scotch tradesman of Edinburgh,
visited London while Adam Smith was in the ze
NTH of his fame. He was much surprised to find
the plain old gentleman a great man. cit can't,
DO so-don't see him every day when am at
home "
The Date Palm-Phenir actylitera-thrives in
this climate, though we believe it does not produce
fruit. The largest tree we have ever seen is in a
garden on Burgundy street, at the corner of ST.
Peter or Ste. Anne Its tropical leaves seem cramped
oy the walls which hem it in on every side.
Longfelow describes the feelings which the sight
d an exotic tree thus growing in city excited in
us mind" take mourniul pleasure in gazing
Il that tree. It stands there so straight and tall,
With iron bands around its noble trunk and limbs,
n silent majesty, or whispering only in its native |
ongue, and freighting the homeward wind with |
ighs 1t reminds me of some captive monarch of
savage tribe, brought over the vast ocean for |
how, ind chuned IN the Inarket-piace of the ctv
SILENT or breathing onry
,~ss-Ary--ess fEfs nsrfse" fs-oss, and longing
n ha fraa -,