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JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 21, 1876. 



expressed a hearty concurrence in the movement. There was 

 one whose absence all who knew him conld not refrain from 

 deploring, one well known to the readers of our Journal — my 

 excellent and genial friend 0. P. Peach ; a regret increased by 

 the knowledge that it was occasioned through severe illness, 

 an illness contracted in the indefatigable discharge of his 

 clerical duties, and from which he is Elowly recovering. 



Again I would express my sincere thanks to all who so kindly 

 responded to my invitatioD, and earnestly hope that everything 

 connected with our new Society may be indeed couleur de Rose. 

 — D., Deal. 



CHOICE CLIMBING PLANTS FOR INDOOR 

 DECORATION. 



Many plants of climbing habits are now used for the decora- 

 tion of pillars, walls, and rafters of Btoves and conservatories. 

 Some climbing plants require an exotic heat to grow them 

 well, and others succeed best when grown in a cool atmosphere ; 

 in fact there are no scarcity of choice plants of both classes, 

 and a careful selection from both will add beauty and interest 

 to all kinds of plant etructnres. Some plants have sweet- 

 scented flowers, others have showy leaves without flowers of 

 any importance ; but with the great demand for cut flowers 

 which now exists in nearly every garden climbing plants that 

 will supply plenty of flowers suitable for cutting are those moBt 

 in demand, and which deserve to be grown most extensively. 



Amongst stove climbers the old Stephanotis floribunda is 

 well known to be of great value. Its green leaves have no 

 special attractions, but its flowers are unsurpassed in their 

 purity of colour and fragrance. CuttiDg them does not dis- 

 figure the appearance of the plant, and there is no kind of 

 floral arrangement into which the flowers cannot be wrought 

 with advantage. The Stephanotis is very common, yet I do not 

 think it is so much grown as it should be for cutting from. 

 Instead of growing only perhaps a single plant of it up a 

 rafter, it Bhould be planted in every odd corner of a heated 

 structure where space can be afforded. 



The worst feature of the plant is its filthy nature. There 

 is no plant in our gardens to which mealy bug and other 

 insects are more attached. Still, when these are not allowed 

 to make much headway it is surprising how little attention 

 the plants require in the way of being kept clean. Frequent 

 sponging is the best way of cleansing, and syringing often has 

 a tendency to accomplish the same end. 



Allamandas are useful hothouse climbers so long as the 

 flowers are only wanted on the plants, but I have never found 

 them in much demand in a cut state. All the flowers are yellow 

 and rather clumsy in form, but they are generally produoed 

 in great numbers, and are very showy on the roof of a stove. 

 A. Shottii does not produce such large flowers as A. Hender- 

 sonii, which is the variety moBt to be preferred. 



Dipladenias might be classed with Allamandas so far as the 

 form and general character of the flowers is conoerned, but 

 the former are much more attractive than the latter — indeed the 

 Dipladenias are the finest flowering stove climbers we poseees. 

 I have no doubt the old rosy-crimson-flowering D. amabilis will 

 be the best known to many readers ; and although it is not so 

 brilliant as the newer D. Brearleyana, it is still to be preferred 

 as being freer in growth and more likely to succeed with those 

 not accustomed to deal with shy-growiDg plants. 



Were I restricted to one stove climber besides the Stepha- 

 notis I would have no hesitation in eeleoting Clerodendron 

 Balfourii. Its lovely crimson and white flowers are not only 

 highly ornamental on the plant, but in a out state they are 

 exceedingly useful, and as they are always produced in abun- 

 dance the value of the plant is thereby much increased. 



These four distinct stove climbers may all be grown to per- 

 fection under the same circumstances. The plants are often 

 grown in pots and trained round small trellises, but their 

 attractions are never seen to the greatest advantage under this 

 restricted system of growth. To develope their beauty to the 

 fullest extent every one of them should be planted out and 

 allowed plenty of room for extension and development. A 

 mixture of loam, peat, and sand inits them well, and good 

 drainage and liberal cultivation in every way I always find to 

 be most remunerative. 



Hoya carnosa is a quick-growing plant, which does better in 

 a warm stove than in a cool greenhouse. It delights in plenty 

 of peat and sand. The flowers are produced in clusters, are 

 pinkish-white in colour, and of a waxy texture. They are 

 admirably suited for bouquets and button-holes. 



Ipomcea Horsfallise is another choice climber which should 

 find a place in every stove. The flowers are produosd freely 

 in autumD, and are of a bright crimson colour. It does very 

 well on a shaded back wall where many other plants will^not 

 grow. 



The best of the Passifloras for general purposes I consider 

 to be P. alata, P. amabilis, P. fulgens, and P. quadrangularis, 

 all the flowers of which are very attractive, and the fruit of the 

 last-named is of considerable merit for dessert. Like other 

 climbers they do best planted out, and a little decayed manure 

 may be added to the loam and peat in which they are placed. 



Those selecting greenhouse climbers must never think o£ 

 leaving out the two Lapageriae, L. rosea and L. alba. The 

 finest plants of both kinds I have ever seen were planted out 

 in rough loam, peat, and Band, with plenty of drainage, and 

 they were perfectly saturated with water while making their 

 young wood. The white one is rather slow at starting into 

 growth, but when it does begin it grows as freely as the red 

 one. 



Fuchsias and climbing Roses I have long found excellent in 

 the conservatory, and when they cannot be planted out in 

 borders they should be grown in boxes or tubs of a good size. 



Plumbago capensis is also useful, especially after it has 

 become established, as then enough flowers are produced to- 

 make the plant ornamental, and plenty to cut from besides. 



Acacia Riceana, noticed in your pages lately, is a grand 

 climber. Large quantities of its graceful shoots oan always 

 be cut away when in flower without ever being missed. 



What the Passifloras are in the stove Tacsonia Van-Volxemii 

 is in the greenhouse — free-growing and excellent. 



The old Cobcea scandens, which is a favourite in some green- 

 houses, often grows too rampant, and it supplies nothing for 

 the flower vases. Its variegated form, however, is attractive 

 from its pendant sprays of lively foliage, and is suitable for 

 drooping from the roof of a lofty conservatory. — Pkaciitionee. 



PRUNING SHRUBS IN WINTER. 



Summer is generally admitted to be the best season of the 

 year for pruning shrubs, yet much experience has shown me 

 that most Conifers and evergreens may be cut without injury 

 during the winter months. At whatever period the pruning of 

 ornamental trees and shrubs is done it must be done tastefully 

 and oarefnlly — as carefully, in fact, as is the pruning of well- 

 trained fruit trees. 



Some there are who have Buch strong objections to the 

 pruning of shrubs in winter that they will not allow a few 

 sprays to be cut for the decoration of churches and rooms at 

 Christmas. At this period of the year there is much " hack- 

 ing and slashing " of evergreens, which is most objectionable, 

 but because work is occasionally done in a bungling manner 

 is no reason why it should not be done at all. As a rule the 

 pruning of shrubs is either not done at all, or it is carried to an 

 extreme. We either find one shrub spoiling its neighbour for 

 the want of pruning or thinning, and the beauty of both re- 

 stricted ; or we find pruning carried almost to the point of 

 shaving, resulting in a chilling display of Btiff and formal 

 "round heads." In a few — very few — gardens this mode of 

 pruning is permissible provided it is done well : in other gar- 

 dens a den6e intermingling thicket of evergreens may be appro- 

 priate, and the knife may be banished altogether ; but these 

 instances again are only few. In the majority of gardens 

 timely thinning and moderate and well-executed pruning of 

 shrubs would add much to their beauty. Such pruning may 

 bu done now. I allude to the subject because Christmas is 

 near, and when many, especially the young and the fair, are 

 anticipating the pleasure of wreath and festoon-making in 

 obedience to the old fashion of greeting and celebrating the great 

 festival. By pruning evergreens now we not only do not 

 injure the specimens, but improve them, and in addition we 

 give pleasure, joyous and wholesome, to many who are waiting 

 — almost longing — for the prunings. 



For several years I was gardener to a clergyman — an excel-' 

 lent man, who had an excellent collection of shrubs. These 

 Bhrubs he cherished, but so great was his antipathy to pruning 

 them in winter that he would not allow them to be cut either 

 for the Christmas decoration of his house or the church. 

 Rather than do this he would, and did, purchase large quan- 

 tities of evergreens from and for others for use during Christ- 

 mas-tide. That clergyman, like moat others, was honest in 

 his convictions, which are, perhaps, too often interpreted by 

 outsiders as being merely eccentricities. Eventually this fine 



