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The lloiik.ulturiiil and Journal 



a tangle, which, in the endeavor to separate, 

 often becomes a serious matter to the vine 

 itself. 



The propagation of the Clematis is not 

 attended with any great degree of mystery, 

 although in the case of some varieties care is 

 necessary to root them properly. Old plants 

 may be divided, and every bud having a few 

 fibers attached will grow and form a new vine ; 

 but in the newer kinds, where it seems neces- 

 sary to raise a large number of plants from a 

 few specimens, more skill is required. Cut- 

 tings of young wood grown under glass will 

 strike root more readily than when taken from 

 out-door vines. Those prepared with one or 

 more buds at the top of the cutting (none 

 below being needed), may be at once placed 

 in a sand bed with a brisk bottom heat, where 

 they will soon form roots and be ready for 

 potting off. It is bad policy to plant these 

 in the open ground the first year, or even in 

 the soil of a frame, as vines so grown will 

 j)rove inferior to those which are allowed to 

 remain in pots the first season to become well 

 established. The young plants may be grown 

 in a cool greenhouse, or cold pit under glass, 

 and frequently watered and syringed through- 

 out the season. A little diluted manure 

 water, say applied once a week whilst they 

 are growing, will tend to make large plants. 



Many varieties root easily from layers. 

 This should be performed as soon as the young 

 wood commences to ripen, a slit being made 

 in the shoot close to a bud, and then curved 

 downward into a small pot filled with loose, 

 rich soil. To retain the moisture, which 

 is indispensable with layers, the pots should 

 be sunk in the ground and a slight covering 

 of moss scattered over the surface. In the 

 autumn all that have not rooted will quickly 

 do so if treated as cuttings ; that is, by care- 

 fully detaching them close to the scarified 

 point, where may be generally noticed a cal- 

 lused swelling, and then subjecting them to 

 a warm sand bed in the propagating house. 



Gi-rowiug Clematis from seeds is one of the 

 most interesting methods of reproducing a 

 large stock of plants, and whilst we are well 

 aware that we cannot judge of their character 



in advance, excepting with the true species, 

 still there is a certainty of producing nuvny 

 beautiful flowers and useful vines. A large 

 rockwork or heap of roots covered with these 

 mixed seedlings is one of the most picturesijue 

 and attractive objects we have ever beheld ; 

 or for massing on a large trellis, or over coarse 

 shrubs for screening unsightly places, they are 

 equally valuable. The seeds must be col- 

 lected immediately after they are thoroughly 

 ripe, and sown in boxes of sandy soil, with a 

 very thin covering of sand, and placed away 

 in a moderately cool greenhouse, when the 

 young plants will make their appearance dur- 

 ing the following spring. Presuming these 

 are allowed to grow the first year in the boxes 

 (which is decidedly the best plan), the second 

 year they may be planted out in nicely pre- 

 pared beds, when the greater proportion will 

 soon show bloom. Skillful hybridization with 

 Clematis has produced the greater part of our 

 choice varieties, but as this portion of the sub- 

 ject is not embraced within the pi-actical part 

 of cultivation, and at the same time is attended 

 with so much trouble and care, we shall pass 

 it by for the present. 



As regards blooming, the Clematis may be 

 classed into two sections ; first, those which 

 bloom upon the old wood, that of the previous 

 season ; and secondly, those which perfect 

 their bloom upon the young wood of the same 

 year. This feature must govern our trimming 

 operations in a great measure, care being 

 exercised not to curtail the shoots of the former 

 too severely, else a diminution of flowers will 

 be the result. 



There is yet another class which belongs to 

 the herbaceous plants whose roots are peren- 

 nial and hardy, but whose tops die to the 

 ground in the autumn. These are all hand- 

 some additions to the garden, and are delight- 

 fully fragrant in addition to their beauty. Of 

 these the C. erecta with white, and C. cceridea 

 odo"ata with blue flowers, are fine examples. 



But many of our readers, we presume, 

 would like to know just what to plant and 

 what to leave alone. In answer to the former, 

 we may reply, it is indeed a difficult task 

 among so many beautiful forms and colors ; 



