THE SOLA NUM. 107 



flowers. No one should get this climber with a view 

 to the flowers ; but for grandeur of foliage there are 

 few things to match it. 



It is necessary to prune them by cutting back as for 

 the Vine, and in order to obtain abundant foliage if to 

 cover a wall. They are much liable to insect pests. 



The Rubus, or Double-flowering Bramble. 



This is a climber but little grown or known, but still 

 it is a good one. The foliage is like that of the common 

 Bramble, but I think of a deeper and richer green. 

 The flowers are similar to those of the finest Blackberry, 

 but as double as a Rose ; it is a beautiful thing when 

 in flower. It requires a south or south-west wall, 

 good soil, and to be pruned annually, cutting into 

 spurs — not too close, however. 



The best time to prune them is in March or April. 

 There are a great many varieties of this tribe, but I 

 more particularly refer to R. Bellidijiorus. There is a 

 very pretty double pink-flowered variety, Flore-roseo 

 pleno. 



The Solanum. 



There are a great number of this family, some being 

 adapted to compact pot culture, and others for training 

 on walls. However, I here refer to Jasminifolium, 

 Giganteum, and Arboreum. These are usually classed 

 with greenhouse plants, but in the West of England 

 Giganteum and Arboreum do well on walls out of doors. 

 Giganteum is a fine-foliaged climber, producing clusters 

 of beautiful light blue flowers, making it a most desir- 

 able plant to cover trellises and walls ; it will grow 

 many feet in a single season. 



The pruning of this plant consists in cutting back to 

 spurs annually from February until April, or the old 

 rods may be cut clean out and the last year's 3 r oung 

 wood laid in, from which an abundance of flowers will 

 come. Some will require cutting quite down, in which 

 case young stuff will come up ; others require cutting 

 quite back early in the spring, to induce an entirely 



