THE CANADIAN HORTrCULTTTRTST. 



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The tender aristocratic twiners and 

 climbers, such as cobea scandens, eccre- 

 mocarpus, Madeira vine, maurandias, 

 physiantlius albens, lophospermiiins, 

 and the solanum jasminoides, are very 

 fine, but ought to be in conspicuous 

 places, as they are choice, and ought not 

 to be subject to the rough winds that 

 we sometimes get here. These, not be- 

 ing hardy, have to be kept in-doors in 

 winter. There is one of the ipomeas 

 that blooms at night, and has flowers as 

 large as a saucer, or six inches wide. 

 They are pure white, and very fragrant; 

 it is called Noctophyton, or Bona Nox. 

 The seeds of this will grow if sown, in 

 a window about May first, and be ready 

 to plant out about June 10th, which is 

 early enough. It grows to a great 

 height, and is very interesting when in 

 flower at night in the summer months. 



Both our native and the Chinese 

 Wistaria are splendid twining plants, 

 and ought to be grown more than they 

 are. They are hardy enough, but the 

 most climbers that the writer has seen 

 growing about residences are cheated, 

 and the growei*s have " sunk the ship 

 for a bucket of tar." They have not 

 given their plants a fair chance, for 

 most of these plants, in a state of 

 nature, grow in good beds of vegetable 

 mould, and we see them trying to grow 

 near Iiouses in the poorest of stuff", like 

 trying to make a silk purse out of a 

 sow's ear. The Celastrus, and many 

 vines, will grow in the sand and gravel 

 of the lake shore, but see the same 

 vines growing in the rich woods and 

 they will surprise many who are fond 

 of climbing plants. 



Our various park commissioners have 

 an opportunity to show what can be 

 done with twining and climbing plants, 

 instead of going in the old ruts of [)ut- 

 ting a plant or two in (^ases or on trel- 

 lis work. Let them devote an acre or 

 two to these kinds of plants. The thing 



could be done in an ornamental man- 

 ner, without much expense, if the 

 right spirit was put in the matter. 

 Many of the residences of gentlemen 

 would be made more attractive if there 

 were a greater number of twining and 

 climbing plants about them. It is not 

 always the wisest plan to crowd a 

 place with the showy things. Many in- 

 teresting twiners grow in the woods 

 not a great distance from Chicago. 



Our farmei-s could easily have lots of 

 interesting places about their homes, 

 especially near wood lands. A pile of 

 old stumps can be covered with creep- 

 ing, twining, or climbing plants, and 

 though it brings nothing back to the 

 purse, it will often give more pleasure 

 than money can buy to their wives, 

 little ones, and friends. 



Many kinds of climbing plants have 

 some curious things about them. One 

 of the Pftssifloras opens its flowers with 

 loud noise, hence probably its name. 

 The menispermum, or moon seed, has 

 a curious shell that partially covers the 

 seed. It looks like half of a hazel nut 

 shell with the nut in it. The ladies of 

 the South collect them to make rustic 

 frames for pictures. The Aristolochia 

 has a curious pipe-like appendage to 

 the flower, hence it is called Dutch- 

 man's Pipe. The Loasa is covered with 

 hairs that will sting like a bee's sting 

 if touched by any tender part of a per- 

 son's body. 



Our climbing roses are known to 

 everybody, but they, strictly speaking, 

 could not be called climbing, for in 

 their native state they have to work 

 their way over other things, even their 

 own old limbs. They are, more strictly 

 speaking, reclining plants, and the 

 writer would like to see some one who 

 would have the courage to ti*eat them 

 as such. Any one who has seen Rosa 

 setigera, or the wild Michigan rose, so- 

 called (it grows in many parts of lUi- 



