SPRING-FLOWERING HARDY VINES 103 
twining is so slight as to be of no practical value 
in the support of the plant, and, if used as 
climbers, they must be assisted in some way. 
Fortunately, the long, thin shoots can be tied or 
trained into almost any position with no fear of 
their being broken. The plant is also remarkably 
free from attacks of insects or disease. 
In pruning, all that is necessary is to remove 
any dead or very old wood immediately after 
the flowers fall in the spring. In the matter 
of soil, jasmines are not hard to please. Any 
good garden soil will answer, although if rather 
light and not too rich the plants will winter 
much better. Under these conditions, they will 
not make as much growth, it is true, but therein 
lies the secret of the more successful wintering. 
By making a short, stocky growth, the plants 
are able to thoroughly ripen the current season’s 
wood before winter sets in. It is a well-known 
fact that tender plants will winter better in a 
poor than in a rich soil. The American holly 
(Ilex opaca), for example, is very liable to severe 
winter-killing when planted in a rich soil. On 
the other hand, I have seen it growing on Fire 
Island Beach (which is nothing but an immense 
sand bar) right in full sunlight, with absolutely 
no protection or wind-break near. The specimens 
