CLIMBERS AND THEIR ARTISTIC USE. 81 



of Bourg-la-Reine, Seine, a much-trusted French nurseryman did I 

 find the stools of Clematis, the little plants simply layered into pots 

 set around the old plants in the open air. I had many of these, and 

 never failed with them. 



At home I often bought batches of plants of the best kinds from 

 nurseries of good repute. On examination they were all found to be 

 grafted on C. Vitalba of the Wiltshire and Surrey hills. The roots of 

 every plant were washed out, and the dark roots of the native kind, 

 an ugly mass, with above it a few roots of the true plants striving to 

 make way, were found. The latter were carefully saved for planting, 

 and the former, with the stock, cut off and thrown away. 



I have planted the very finest kinds in every sort of position, some 



in the hedgerow, round an orchard, in open ground, and in close shade 



of trees and shrubs, and in spite of the surgical 



Ungrafted plants operation of cutting off the stock described above, 



in every sort of have had success in all. With the plants from 



position. cuttings, layers, or seedlings there is no risk. Is 



there any sound reason for grafting a plant so easy 



to raise from layers as the Clematis ? There is none, either as to 



tenderness or difficulty of increase. 



M. F. Morel, who condemns the use of our common wild kind, uses 



as a stock C. Viticella, which I think is not the best way ; the union 



arising is too fragile. I have had many plants 



Grafting on from M. Morel, and hope to have many more, but I 



Viticella. have lost some grafted plants, whereas I never lost 



one of the layered plants. 



In dense planting among shrubs any malady is seen but rarely. 

 Many of my plants have borne hundreds of flowers for years, and are, 

 even now, in perfect health. As to Mr Jackman's repeated statement 

 that the scion absorbs the stock or gets rid of it, any one who buys a 

 batch from a nursery and takes the trouble to examine the roots will 

 find the two sets of roots in action. 



Every season I buy batches of plants, and the first thing I do is 

 to take them to a tank and wash out the roots ; the " wig " of the 

 native stock is always there. 



It was thought that calcareous soil was a need, no doubt arising 

 from the fact that our native species abounds on the chalk hills, but 

 for the Japanese Clematis chalk is not needed. 

 Soil. The plants may grow in calcareous soil, but so they 



do in sandy loam. If anything is helpful in plant- 

 ing a Clematis it is plenty of sharp sand. We never give either 

 mulch or special fertiliser none is needed. 



Having proved beyond a doubt the vigour and beauty of naturally- 

 grown plants, my next step was to bring them into the flower 



F 



