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THE CmNESE WISTARIA. 



THE CHINESE 'WISTARIA. 



Our pages were adorned last montli with 

 a portrait of the Yulan, or Chinese White 

 Magnolia, the pride of the lawn and plea- 

 sure grounds in April.* 



Another hardy twining or climbing shrub, 

 from the same " flowery land," is the gem 

 of the garden and shrubbery, in the month 

 of May. 



It is, indeed, one of the loveliest of all 

 vines of a shrubby character. Its clus- 

 ters of delicate pale purple (or French 

 gray) blossoms, are so numerous and so 

 large, each raceme being 11 or 12 inches 

 long, that they are highly attractive. Their 

 perfume is delicious. The plant is perfect- 

 ly hardy in this latitude, and will bear a 

 temperature of 10 or 15° below zero. It 

 grows freely in almost every soil, and, in a 

 deep, rich loam, frequently makes shoots 20 

 or 30 feet long in a single season. Its foli- 

 age is abundant, and its color is a lively, 

 pleasant hue of green. In a few words, we 

 cannot but agree with Loudon, in thinking 

 it " the most magnificent of all hardy de- 

 ciduous climbers."! 



When this plant was first introduced into 

 Great Britain from China, about 30 years 

 ago, it was sold for six guineas a plant, and 

 it was considered too tender to bear the 

 open air. It may now be had in all the 

 large nurseries in this country, at from 30 



* The portrait of the Wistaria, intended to accompany this 

 article, is necessarily omitted, the engraver having failed to 

 get it ready in season. — Pcb. 



t The Chinese "Wistaria, thong-h it will grow over arbors, 

 pillars, or in almost any shape that it may be desirable to 

 train it, appears to thrive best when growing in a warm sit- 

 uation, such as the south side of a building, wall, &c. There 

 is a plant trained on the south side of the gardener's house, 

 here, which has been planted about 12 years, and vvliich now 

 covers a large space. Every year it has increased in size, and 

 in the number of its blossoms. While we write, (the middle of 

 May,) it is in bloom, and there are 610 clusters of blossoms, 

 fully expanded on it. 



to 50 cents each, and is found to be perfect- 

 ly hardy. As it is easily propagated by 

 layers and cuttings, and requires no further 

 than a slight training care,whcnonce plant- 

 ed ; we hope to see it, and the Double Michi- 

 gaji Roses, — two of the finest of hardy 

 climbers yet known, for the middle and 

 eastern states — become the ornament of 

 every rural cottage and country house in the 

 land. The comparative freedom from in- 

 sects, the permanency and vigor of these 

 climbers, added to their great beauty, must 

 soon make them universal favorites. 



The genus Wistaria, was named by Nut- 

 tall, in honor of Dr. Caspar Wistar, the 

 celebrated Philadelphia savan. 



There is also an indigenous species some- 

 times called the Glycine, Wistaria fnitcs- 

 cens, a native of Virginia and the south and 

 west. Though a pretty climber, its clusters 

 of flowers are not more than a third of the 

 size of the Chinese species, and it is much 

 less ornamental, as well as hardy, in the 

 northern states. Its flowers are produced 

 later, or towards midsummer. 



A new variet_v of the Chinese Wistaria, 

 has lately been brought out to England, by 

 the celebrated collector to the London Hor- 

 ticultural Society, Mr. Fortune. Its blos- 

 soms are white, and the effect of this and 

 the purple flowered species will both be 

 benefitted, by planting and training them 

 together. We have not learned as yet, of 

 its introduction into this country. 



We find the following interesting hints, 

 for making the Chinese Wistaria, a perpet- 

 ual lloomer, in Paxtori's Magazine of Bo- 

 tariy. 



" Mr, Knight, of the exotic nursery, Chel- 

 sea, has a simple method of causing this 

 plant to flower three times a year, by the 



