466 



HORTlCULTURi: 



October 2, 1909 



New Chinese Vines and Their Uses 



A race of trailing plants is being introduced to 

 British gardens by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, under the 

 general name of Vitis, that are destined to become very 

 valuable decoratively in the garden. Mostly they are 

 the discoveries of Mr. Wilson in Western China and 

 the borders of Thibet; and being natives of the moun- 

 tainous regions of those parts of the globe, they are per- 

 fectly hardy in all temperate countries of both hemis- 

 pheres. At the Coombewood nurseries of Messrs. Veitch 

 they have been during the past six years without any 

 protection successfully cultivated in the open air. Simi- 

 larly with many other plants of a hardy nature, they 

 are amenable to forcing of a gentle kind when grown 

 in pots, thus extending the period during which their 

 peculiar beauty of leaf can be enjoyed. They are plants 

 of easy cultivation, well adapted to covering walls, pil- 

 lars, rafters and principals in cool greenhouses, for fill- 

 ing hanging baskets and amphorae, and for uses as 

 edgings to plant stages, groups of other plants, either 

 under glass or out of doors. They form capital orna- 

 ments in the flower garden when grown as standards 

 tied to poles, like pillar roses, or for forming garlands 

 and suspending from chains, or as arches above beds 

 filled with flowering plants, and several other purposes 

 that will occur to the intelligent gardener. As hanging 

 screens to porches with open arches, similarly to the 

 Ampelopsis quinquefolia and A. Veitchii, they will be 

 admirable substitutes for these species. 



Vitis megalophylla is a remarkable species with 

 bipinnate leaves 2-3 feet across, resembling individually 

 those of Koelreuteria paniculata, glabrous in every part, 

 dark green above, and pale green beneath. The plant 

 makes growths of 8-10 feet in a season. V. leeoides 

 is a distinct species having leaves resembling those of 

 the genus Leea consisting of five ovate leaflets of a 

 glossy green on the upper surface and claret colored be- 

 neath. It is also glabrous in all parts. The edges of 

 the leaflets are serrate with an acuminate apes, and dif- 

 fer in form and contour from all other species. V. Hen- 

 ryii is a very ornamental vine having digitate leaves 

 consisting of five lanceolate leaflets with serrate edges. 

 The ground color is a dark velvety green, whilst the 

 midrib and principal veins are silvery white. This va- 

 riegation is more pronounced in autumn when the 

 ground color becomes red, the midrib and veins remain- 

 ing white, v. armata possesses dark green leaves in 

 summer, changing to various bright reddish tints in au- 

 tumn. V. armata var. Veitchii is a strong climber and 

 the most decorative vine as yet distributed. It may be 

 grown successfully in any situation. The tint of the 

 leaves in the autumn is a rich crimson lake, and in the 

 summer it is a shining bronzy green. V. flexuosa var. 

 Wilsonii is a distinct form of the species, and highly 

 ornamental. The neat foliage is of a deep bronzy tint with 

 a metallic lustre, and the under surface of the young 

 leaves is of a bright purple color. V. repens is another 

 hardy ornamental vine, of vigorous growth and self- 

 clinging, therefore makes a first-class wall plant. The 

 leaves when young are of a red-brown tint on the upper 

 surface and claret colored beneath. The older leaves 

 are about 6 inches in length, slightly trilobed, deep green 



with a peculiar velvety appearance. V. Thomsonii is a 

 pretty species with stems and leaves of a purplish tint. 

 The leaves consist of five leaflets, greenish purple above 

 and bright claret beneath, changing in autumn to 

 purplish red. The growths being slender, make the 

 jilant well adapted for situations in which stronger 

 growing species would be unsuitable. 



Roses Under Glass 



VENTILATION 



W^ith the advent of autumn the real importance of a 

 thorough knowledge of the art of ventilation becomes 

 apparent. Stock which has been properly ventilated 

 "night and day" and otherwise carefully treated during 

 the summer, should now be in a condition fit to undergo 

 all the vicissitudes of fall and winter culture. But 

 stock, even of the finest character, can soon be spoiled by 

 careless or imprudent ventilation and when plants have 

 thus been allowed to suffer the utmost care and skill is 

 required to bring them back to good growing condition 

 again. 



Ventilation at night requires the same careful thought 

 and judgment as is bestowed upon it during the day. 

 It is a pitiful fact that some growers overlook or do not 

 know this, and frequently the best efforts of the man in 

 charge during the day are nullified by a few hours of 

 misdirected work at night. If the night temperature 

 required is .60 degrees this should be kept up at all haz- 

 ards, but the proper way to do this is not to close the 

 ventilators to exclude the cold air. The air must be 

 kept in circulation and if this cannot be maintained 

 without the aid of artificial heat, by all means start a 

 fire in the boiler and supply the heat. 



The practice of closing the ventilators and withhold- 

 ing heat is very conducive to fungous diseases and can- 

 not but result in weakening the growth of the plants 

 and making them susceptible to mildew and all the other 

 troubles the rose is heir to. 



INSECTS 



Eed-spider should not be allowed to make headway 

 as it is one of the most insidious pests we have to con- 

 tend with during the winter. Syringe thoroughly when 

 the weather is favorable and give particular attention to 

 those plants situated near to the pipes where the air is 

 dry and warm, as there is where you are likely to have 

 the most trouble. 



The green-fly is now becoming troublesome and the 

 houses should be fumigated regularly to keep them in 

 check. Tobacco stems or tobacco extracts are usually 

 effective for this purpose and can be obtained from any 

 of the firms who advertise in these columns. 



Advantage should be taken of the cold nights to paint 

 the steam pipes with sulphur. If this is done, and the 

 ventilation is properly attended to, there will be little 

 trouble from mildew. 



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