THE CANADIAN HOKTICULTUUIST. 17'S 



leaves. Bu^ I want to note two or three important points in their culture, 

 whereby increased and prolonged pleasure may be derived from their pecu- 

 liar beauty. Clematises, as a rule, grow thick and low, when compared 

 with other climbers. They should, therefore, bo trained either to coarse 

 wire netting, set against wall or house, or on a i)ole or dead tree with parta 

 of the branches left unlopped. Thus managed, clematises display eflectively 

 their rich colors and delicate grace. Single wires or strings fastened verti- 

 cally are frequently used as supports for clematis vines, but such a system 

 of training fails to display satisfactorily the peculiar beauty of the 

 leaves. 



But some one may say that clematises, with all their surprising beauty, 

 are very unsatisfactory because they last so short a time. The answer to 

 this is — cut oif your clematises just below the flowers, as soon as they have 

 faded, and you will find to your delight that in August and September all 

 kinds in any way related to those mentioned above will bloom freely a 

 second time. Do not forget, farthermore, the species C. viryinica, small, 

 white and sweet-scented. It is not i-elated to the above list, but is induced 

 to bloom in a like manner a secontl time by similar pruning. People are 

 becoming very enthusiastic about clematises now-a-days, but they have yet 

 to learn half the attractive ways by which their charms may be displayed. 

 For instance, they may be trained into a thick carpet, sprinkled with flow- 

 ei-s, or in the form of a boi'der. They may be made to cluster deliciously 

 in the upper curves of a gothic doorway or window, or they may be allowed 

 to wander in wild graceful abandon over heaps of rocks or roots ; indeed, 

 I can never fancy the distinctly formal mounds, columns and what-not of 

 clematis that the books recommend in their latest devised systems of ti-ain- 

 ing. Very useful clematises for creeping over rocks and roots are the spe- 

 cies C. apafolia and C. grahamii, one yellow, the other white, and both 

 possessed of the habit — almost peculiar to themselves — of blooming in Au- 

 gust in the most profv.se fashion, and therefore needing no summer pruning. 

 These clematises grow very rapidly and thickly, and are in every way un- 

 surpassed for covering rock-work with foliage and flowers. 



A rare and most curious clematis has come recently into the hands of 

 the jdanter under the name of Clematis coccinea. The flower is unlike the 

 ordinary form of clematis, and it is not only curious, but very beautiful. 

 It consists of a solid, fleshy mass less than two inches long, moulded into 

 the similitude of a diminutive antique vaae with a very small mouth. The 

 color is deep scarlet, which flushes the entire surface of the flower, while 

 the foliage is much like that of an oi'dinary clematis. It blooms commonly 

 in July. Altogether it is one of the most interesting plants I have seen 

 in a long time, even setting aside its unquestionable rarity. Surely I am 

 doing no plant injustice when I express regret that such gems of hardy 

 nature receive so little attention compared with that bestowed on the dif- 

 ferent forms of coleus and geranium. Furthermore, in thus speaking of 

 clematis coccinea, I would offer the same plea for all clematises. They are 

 in many instances difficult to propagate, but always choice and lovely, and 

 very frequently rare. — S. Parsons, Jr., in Country Gentleman. 



