CLIMBERS 213 



climbing variety of Virginia creeper. How little imagination we 

 commonly employ is shown by the thousands of wistarias trained 

 up iron rods in New York. They look to me like enchanted prin- 

 cesses with their arms frozen to their sides, until some good fairy 

 comes to release them. After that they may entwine balconies, 

 embellish window sills, and envelop the whole building with an 

 atmosphere of poetry. 



THE BEST WAYS TO TRAIN VINES 



Only two good ways of training are known to me. If I had a 

 beautiful, well-proportioned house, especially in the Colonial 

 style I should have my architect design once for all a complete 

 and permanent system of trellis or lattice work which would be 

 attractive even when not covered. Then I should be certain that 

 just the right proportion would be covered and that the covered 

 part would not have to be repainted. 



But if I had a commonplace or ugly house I should put up 

 yard-wide strips of chicken wire (or something stronger) from the 

 ground to the roof, fastening them at top and bottom in such a 

 way that the climbers could be taken down and put back with 







entire ease and without damage. 



CLIMBERS FOR GARDEN WALLS 



The principles governing climbers for house walls apply also 

 to garden walls, but the garden wall gives us some splendid oppor- 

 tunities in addition. I used to dread the idea of high garden walls, 

 but I believe we must borrow this custom from England. The 

 seven reasons therefor have been stated at the end of Chapter IX. 

 Only one will be developed here. The shelter of the garden wall 

 enables Englishmen to grow many of the greatest treasures of 



