HAKDT CLIMBING SHRUBS. 289 



Chinese, White. — Resembling the preceding in habit of 

 growth, but producing white flowers. 



Magnifica. — The flowers are pale lilac, the plant -vigorous 

 and of a hardy character, foliage like the American. 



American or Frutescens. — ^Flowers pale blue, clusters not 

 so long as the foregoing sorts, and habit of growth not so vigor- 

 ous. There is also a white variety, called Frutescens Alba. 



Ivy. — Hedera. — There seems to be some difficulty in making 

 this beautiful evergreen climber thrive in our climate, more 

 probably because of our hot suns than because of the frost, for 

 we have noticed that it will grow on the north side of a building, 

 especially if sheltered from the sweep of winds. It wiU chng by 

 its own rootlets to the face of a wall without any help of man, 

 and soon cover it with a mantle of green. Those who have a 

 wall, the north side of which they wish to cover, will probably 

 succeed in doing it with this plant, but it is of no use to try to- 

 grow it where it is exposed to the sun- 

 But there is a use to which the Ivy may be put in any part 

 of Canada with complete success, and that is indoor decoration. 

 Ko matter how dark the room, how great the dust, how various 

 the temperature, so long as the roots are not frozen, whether 

 lighted with gas or coal-oil, the Ivy will grow. Placed in a pot 

 or box on the floor, it may be trained to festoon a window, or 

 ornament a door-way, to run as a border or cornice of green 

 around the room, or in any form or fashion fancy may decide.. 

 Of course, if the dust is occasionally sponged from the leaves in 

 tepid water, and the fresh air allowed to visit it now and then,, 

 it will well repay the attention bestowed. 



There are many varieties of the Ivy, aU of which have their 

 own peculiar beauty. The leaves of some are blotched with 

 gold, as the Aurea Marmorata ; some have the edges of the leaves- 

 margined with white, as the Marginata Argentea ; some have 

 lobed leaves, as Lohata; some palmate leaves, as Palmata, and 

 the variety called Tricolor has its leaves marked with green„ 

 white and rose-color. 



£L. 



