TREES, EVERGREENS, AND SHRUBS. 37 



pieces of wood nailed strongly together, will do to support 

 this beautiful climber, Avhich wraps itself thickly round its 

 prop, and then hangs in waving masses, covered with its 

 starry flowers on every side." 



Ivy may also be used to cover the ground under trees, 

 or on banks, where grass wdll not grow, forming a carpet 

 of shining green at all seasons. It grows readily from 

 cuttings, and after it has once taken root, it needs little 

 looking after, though, like all other youngsters, it requires a 

 little care and training at first starting, and it amply repays 

 the trouble. The following liints on ivy culture are taken 

 from a paper in the fourteenth volume of the Cottage 

 Gardener : they will be found useful by those who Avish 

 to see this beautiful evergreen thrive ; one of the many 

 advantages of this plant being, that it is equally suitable 

 and ornamental in a small garden as on a ruined tower, 

 though, as Mr Beatoun says in this paper, it requires 

 different treatment in those different situations : — 



" To have ivy in good order, in dressed grounds, it 

 should be cut every year about the end of April. . . 

 The great beauty of ivy growing against a house, or on the 

 walls, or on buildings about a garden, is to look as young at 

 the end of a life-time as when the heir was born ; but i^y 

 covering an old ruin, or growing uj) round trees, is never 

 in character if it looks young, or w^hen it is young. . . . 

 Without good management ivy is often a dangerous cover- 

 ing to some w'alls, indeed to most w\alls, as, if it is allowed 

 to grow out naturally, on reaching the top of the wall the 

 rain will beat against it, run dowm the branches, and reach 



