1910] The Ottawa Naturalist. 177 



Climl)ing Bitter Sweet, and to these might be added for some 

 purposes the Wild Frost Grape. 



For beauty of autumn colouring the Virginian Creeper stands 

 alone among climbing plants. Where leaf-hoppers are troublesome 

 its attractiveness is marred during the latter part of summer bv 

 the withering of the leaves. There is, however, a self-fastening 

 variet\' brought into notice by the Experimental Farm, which 

 is now lecoming quite cominon about Ottawa. This does not 

 need support but climbs walls by means of its discs and tendrils 

 almost as well as the Ampelopsis Veitchii The foliage of this 

 varietv is somewhat downy and the insects seem to be repelled 

 bv the hairs, at any rate they trouble it very little. 



The Virgin's Bower or Wild Clematis is a verv rapid grower, 

 has clean fohage which is very seldom affected by insects, and 

 bears a profusion of small white flowers in sum.mer. This, and 

 the Eviropean Traveller's Jov, Clematis Vitalha, v/hich is much 

 like ours, if planted alternately v.ill give a continuity of bloom 

 from earlv summer almost until Clematis paniculata is in Ijloom. 



The Climbing Bittersweet, Celastrus scaudens, should be 

 more planted than it is as it has a \-ery clean, attractive foliage 

 and the orange and scarlet fruit in autumn and early winter 

 lengthens its season of usefulness verv m_uch. In parks or large 

 grounds this can be used verv effectively. 



One might write much more about the beauties and ad- 

 vantages of our trees and shrubs. Something must, however, be 

 said about the best native herbaceous plants. 



It has often been remarked, especially by those coming 

 from other countries, how few species of Canadian wild flowers 

 are fotmd growing along the roadsides or borders of cultivated 

 fields in eastern Ontario. If we take out the Golden-rods and 

 Asters there are few prominent plants left. But one might say: 

 "There is the Canada Thistle; that surely is common enough!" 

 But the Canada Thistle is a European plant and we should protest 

 against its being called under that name. Furthermore, prac- 

 ticalh' all our bad weeds are European plants. The reason why 

 so few attractive Canadian v,'ild flowers are found along our 

 roadsides and in our uncultivated ground is that most of our 

 best wild flowers are woodland species and when the woods 

 disappear they disappear with them. To retain and make use 

 of the many beautiful woodland species we must preserve the 

 woods or make for them in our parks and gardens conditions 

 approaching those thev get in their native wdlds. But for- 

 tunately, there are a number of beautiful flowers, among the 

 best in fact that are available anywhere, which will succeed 

 under cultivation without anv very special selection of situation 

 or soil, and first among these I mention Trillinm grandiflonim 



