CHAPTER XXL 



CLIMBERS. 



Hove these immense wreaths of vine which extend far 

 and wide in rich green garlands, and wliicli become, in 

 autumn, of a splendid purple. ... At the extremity of 

 my garden the vine extends in long porticoes, through the 

 arcades of which may he seen trees of all sorts and foliage 

 of all colors. Alphonse Karr. 



As found growing wild, the hard-wooded climbers and 

 trailers afford some of the most delightful hits of natural 

 scenery to be met with. Many of these serve valuable pur- 

 poses for embellishments in ornamental gardening. 



E. A. Long. 



In making np a landscape picture proper, climbers 

 are of minor importance. Their chief use, in purely 

 naturalistic compositions, is not for climbing, but for 

 trailing over rocks, or down sloping banks, or for clam- 

 bering over low bushes. In such situations as these 

 they are very effective. 



But when buildings are introduced, and fences have 

 to be dealt with, and other more unsightly objects need 

 amelioration or concealment, the climbers are indispen- 

 sable. In the shading and adornment of porches they 

 play no insignificant part in the list of the gardener's 

 materials. 



I wish to emphasize the fact that no climber 

 ought to be planted on level ground unless there be first 

 some suitable support on which it is to climb. It is not 

 uncommon to find cases in which the climber was first 

 planted, and afterward some crazy and impertinent 

 structure was arranged to meet its demands. This is 

 one of the ways of losing naturalness, along with all 

 other kinds of beauty. 



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