The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-05-21
are soon o1spened OF the

misgrvings are soon o1spened py the
frank greeting from the huntsman.
The grandeur of the forests of the
Mississippi valley and the luxuriance
of the shrubs and plants are unequaled
in any other portion of this country-a
country whose vegetation is on scale
of magnifcence grander than any other
in the world. Here nature has enam-
eled the forests with richness of color
ing and a diversity of horticulture with
more lavish hand than elsewhere.
The people of these favored lands en-
JOY this luxurious gift Of nature, bask-
ing under the arbors of their paradise,
with little thought of cultivating fiori-
culture, assuming that nature has per-
:tected her work and cannot be i'm
proved by the aid of science On the
hanks of the Mississippi. and on the
RI vers and bayous, and in the swamps
Of the overflow district, are trees of
eve cry kind and odor, forming bowers
and arcades, their limbs and vines
re aching from tree to tree across
streams and jungles, overshadowing
RlL In the mist of these clusters
proudly rises the magnolia, shining in
its snowy blossoms, commanding this
primeval forest of gloom. And, next,
the palm tree, with its dark green
foliage and graceful lines, reaching out
OF the darkness TO the sun as if wooing
its brightness.
The magnolia is the pride of the
southern forests as the China tree is OF
the home II is an evergreen, and
shooti up to the height of IS or 100 feet,
clothed in evergreen leaves and white
flowers. It's leaves are five or six inches
in length of a dark green color, glazed
and thick, the under side being brown.
in june the flower begins to unfold,
and when full blown it is as large as
an average bouquet; its petals are as
white as snow, carved to inclose a fruit.
'fhicis, smooth and elastic as rubber,
and fragrant. Lovers use them in brief
s'lrreptitious correspondence, which
also answers the double purpose of love
notes and bouquets. One flower will
perfume room for days; and the at
mosphere in the vicinity of tree is so
heavily laden with perfume that one al
most becomes faint, or IS lulled into a
drowsy sleep under its lotus-like in
huence.
The China tree is perhaps the most
beautiful of all southern shade trees.
1t is certainly the most popular. The
planters villa or cottage and the
darkIesP cabins are found amid the UNI
brageous shade of this canopy-like
tree. The China is in leaf about seven
months m the year. and. in early spring,
it bears beautiful and delicate little
flower of pale-pink shade, slightly
tinged with purple. Its fragrance is
similar TO that of the lilac, which it
also slightly resembles in appearance,
but the cluster is not so large. For
week or two the air is redolent with
the perfume of these fowerss after
which they fall off, carpeting the
ground, leaving clusters OF green ber-
ries, about the size of pea, or larger.
on every branch. In the fall the ber-
ries ripeD into yellow hue, and remain
on the branches even after the leaves
have fallen.
When green the berries are used by
negro boys as bullets for their popguns
Of cane
The slender branches of this tree
-adiate in all directions en5irG in fine |