30 



THE ELORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



remove a few at a time, commencing i 

 at the bottom. These are useful at 

 fetes, and to decorate halls and en- 

 trances, and should be grown of a 

 suitable height and size of head to 

 allow a couple to sit under the head 

 for conversation ; they are, iu fact, a 

 sort of lovers' retreats, and will not 

 only contribute to the beauty of the 

 scene on the occasion of a festive 

 assembly, but often give occasion for 

 sallies of wit and exchanges of play- 

 ful badinage. 



Pyramids. — The easiest of all the 

 forms in which to train potted ivies 

 is that of the pyramid. Train the 

 young plants upright and orderly two 

 seasons, then shift them iuto 8 or 10- 

 inch pots, using a firm loamy soil, and 

 a liberal proportion of manure in the 

 case of the green-leaved hinds. In- 

 sert a few straight stakes, three or 

 four feet long, and to these train the 

 leaders upright, and take the side- 

 shoots round and round, which will 

 both aid in furnishing the stakes, aud 

 at the same time check their growth. 

 In the autumn when they have done 

 growing draw the stakes together at 

 the summit and tie them firm. Those 

 who visit Mr. Salter's nursery at this 

 time of year may see beside his resi- 

 dence a long row of potted pyramid 

 ivies standing next a white wall, 

 where they look remarkably fresh and 

 cheerful. These are all in 8-inch pots, 

 and have not had a shift for live or 

 six years past. During the summer 

 they are plunged out, aud kept from 

 being damaged by storms by means 

 of a few rough stakes, and in winter 

 they keep guard like so many volun- 

 teer riflemen beside the abode of one 

 ■who has earned a title to dwell in 

 peace and safety. Pyramid ivies 

 would give a belter tone to many of 

 our town and suburban gardens than 

 they have at present, because of their 

 genuine promenade character when 

 well grown and grouped with other 

 equally hardy evergreen shrubs, such 

 as variegated hollies and potted coni- 

 fers. 



.Bushes. — Ivies trained out in the 

 form of rouud bushes make excellent 

 window screens, and require almost 

 no care at all, and they are admirably 

 adapted for the decoration of town 



windows, because not requiring to be 

 often repotted. In fact, when once 

 large enough to occupy 8-inch pots, 

 they never need be shifted again, a 

 little refreshment annually by top- 

 dressing being quite sufficient for 

 them. 



Vakiegated Ivies. — If these are 

 kept much shaded, and grown in a 

 highly manured soil, they lose their 

 beauty, and throw out green shoots. 

 To keep them true, and bring out the 

 true colours of the variegation, the 

 soil should be comparatively poor, 

 well- drained, and the plants must be 

 fully exposed to the sunshine. If it 

 is desired to cause quick growth in 

 any variegated ivies, to form hand- 

 some pot specimens, a sixth part of 

 decayed manure may be used iu the 

 compost, with tough turfy loam and 

 peat. Sound yellow loam full of fibre 

 is the most nourishing soil that can 

 be used with perfect safety in the 

 growth of variegated plants, and 

 should always be the principal 

 staple in the culture of variegated 

 ivies. 



Pjjopagating. — By the time that 

 ivy berries are quite ripe, the spring 

 will be sufficiently advanced to allow 

 of the seeds being sown without any 

 need of storing them previously. Hub 

 out the seeds, and sow thick in beds 

 of sandy loam. Keep the ground 

 clear of weeds, and as soon as the 

 seedlings show their characters re- 

 move any of distinct habit, and 

 either plant them out where they will 

 have attention or pot them. Those 

 that remain will require to be planted 

 out in nursery rows after they have 

 made one year's growth in the seed- 

 bed. Among the plants selected for 

 special attention, some will prove to 

 be district varieties, the true charac- 

 ters of which will not be fully deter- 

 minable till they are quite three years 

 old. Variegated ivies are seldom ob- 

 tained from the seed-bed ; they are 

 usually sports produced on old speci- 

 mens of wall ivies. Chalk and lime 

 are favourable to the production of 

 variegated sports. There are many 

 variegated forms that have never been 

 named or propagated. We may often 

 see on ruins and old bridges broad 

 sheets of variegated ivy, the result of 



