THE B1GN0NIA. 105 



its flowers upon the current year's wood, i.e. it makes 

 some considerable growth before t\xey appear on the 

 wood of the same season. 



The proper treatment of it, as regards pruning, con- 

 sists in first laying in permanent leaders, which should 

 not be thicker or closer together than those of a Grape 

 Vine. This is where most persons make mistakes : too 

 many leaders are laid in, one permanent leader being 

 enough to cover two feet on each side of it with laterals. 

 At any time from February until April these laterals 

 may be cut back, as in the case of the Grape Vine. And 

 here I would just remind the reader, that the cutting 

 back must never be omitted for a single season, for if 

 it is, disorder and a loss of neatness will ensue, and, 

 besides this, there will be no display of its curious and 

 beautiful flowers. It must be carefully and constantly 

 pruned once a year, and the laterals neatly laid in, if a 

 really good display of flowers is to be expected. 



The Wistaria. 



There is no hardy climber more beautiful, nor one 

 better suited for arches, pillars, and festoon work, than 

 this plant. It grows very rapidly, and makes rods often 

 or twelve feet in length in one season, and these rods 

 are so flexible that they may be twined and trained at 

 pleasure. The flowers are produced upon the last year's 

 wood, consequently the pruning is quite different from 

 that of the Passion-flower. Although long spurring 

 must be adopted on old leaders year by year, yet the 

 finest flowers, as well as the greatest number of them, 

 are obtained from the last year's growth well ripened 

 as in the cultivation of the Vine. To insure a fine dis- 

 play of flowers, lay in as much of the well-ripened wood 

 as possible. The pruning of this plant may be done 

 from November till March, but not much after. 



The Bignonia. 



The Bignonia, or Tecoma — for the division of this 

 genus is not outwardly different, although there is some 



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