THE CLEMATIS, PEONY, AND ANEMONE FAMILY. 509 



with A. canadensis, A. vulgaris. and A. glandulosa, are of vari- 

 able degrees of perfection and number. 



Clematis. A very graceful group of climbing, herbaceous, 

 or shrubby flowering plants, which, thanks to the intelligence 

 and perseverance of hybridisers, bids fair to become one of the 

 most popular in our gardens. The species are found through- 

 out Europe, and a few are indigenous to America, China, and 

 New Zealand, while a few more are tropical. The herbaceous 

 section may be propagated by careful division in the spring, just 

 before they commence to grow, or herbaceous cuttings may be 

 rooted with care on a gentle bottom-heat protected from drought 

 by a bell-glass or cloche. The shrubby kinds may be propa- 

 gated very readily by herbaceous cuttings made in heat, or the 

 short laterals may be taken off and rooted under a cloche after 

 the base has commenced to harden. Examine the roots very 

 carefully, and if you can cut off an eye with the least bit of root 

 attached to it, put it into heat, and by next autumn you will 

 have a capital plant for outdoor planting. All \h& Jackmannii 

 section will easily multiply in this way. The scandent or 

 climbing kinds are propagated from layers of the current year's 

 shoots in autumn, or by grafting on the roots of the commoner 

 kinds. The roots should be introduced into a heated case a 

 few days before they are required for use, so as to vivify them, 

 as these should always be in a more quickened state than the 

 scions to insure a maximum amount of success. The opera- 

 tion is best performed in May; but clever operators do not 

 much mind at what season they propagate in this way. Scions 

 should be formed of the current year's growth, taking care to 

 leave three or four leaves upon them. Clean pieces of root, 

 three or four inches in length, are best, with plenty of fresh, 

 young, growing fibres at the end. Cleft or splice grafting are 

 alike successful, taking care to make clean cuts, after which 

 tie carefully, anoint with liquid wax or cold mastic, and pot 

 in light rich earth, and then place the pots and grafts in a 

 close case on a gentle bottom-heat. After the grafts have 

 taken, gradually harden off. The common blue Spanish Cle- 

 matis forms good stocks, and these are generally attainable in 

 most gardens. Where seedlings are grown, these, if found to 

 be worthless as new varieties, may either be grafted or in- 

 arched with good known varieties. Seed may be readily ob- 

 tained by carefully crossing varieties, or varieties with species, 

 in which way some striking results might doubtless be obtained. 

 The Clematis is easily propagated by saving seed from the best 

 of the new hybrids, some of which produce fertile seeds very 

 freely. The following are good seed - parents : C. " Albert 



