12 THE BOOK OF CLIMBING PLANTS 



of leaving it to grow rampantly until it requires a drastic 

 treatment which will spoil its beauty for a long time. 



It is impossible to detail the respective methods of 

 training and pruning all these plants. Some flower on 

 the older wood, and, in these cases, the strong growths 

 should be left and the weak ones cut out with all 

 decayed wood. Others, again, bloom on the young 

 shoots of the current year. In this case, the old ones 

 ought to be cut out and the fresh, young shoots 

 encouraged. Some flower on spurs produced from 

 the old wood, and are best treated by cutting out a 

 number of the weakly shoots and shortening those left. 

 In all cases a study of the particular species is necessary, 

 as all the species in one genus do not always give the best 

 results under the same treatment in the way of pruning. 

 In the following pages some guidance is generally given 

 where it is thought necessary, but it may be remarked 

 that many amateurs do not prune early enough, and 

 often leave until autumn or spring what should be 

 done as soon as flowering is over. 



Supports for outside climbers deserve a few remarks. 

 All walls are not of equal value as affording a suitable 

 medium for the support of such as attach themselves to 

 them. The least satisfactory is one whose surface is 

 covered with cement, and it is with great difficulty that 

 plants with aerial roots can attach themselves to this. 

 Unpainted stone or brick makes the best walls, the latter 

 being the warmer. It is often necessary to fasten the 

 plants to the walls at the outset, and this may be done 

 by means of shreds or, preferably, with some of the 

 patent wall nails, which have soft metal tops, for 

 bending round the stem of the plant. 



Trellises are favourite supports for wall plants and 

 afford an ornamental support for climbers which require 

 tying or which can attach themselves to them by means 

 of their tendrils. Wire trellises are favourites with 



