308 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS 



VITIS 



ning of the year while the buds are stiU 

 dormant, cutting back the shoots ahnost 

 close to the main stem, so as to leave one 

 or two buds to develop branches wherever 

 required. 



They may be increased by cuttings of 

 the ripened wood inserted in pots in a 

 close frame in January and February, or 

 many of them — like the Virginian Creeper 

 (Vitis quinquefolia) will root readily out 

 of doors if cuttings about 4 in. long are 

 inserted in the autumn in a shady border. 

 Each joint containing a good plump and 

 well-ripened bud will make a new plant if 

 inserted in gentle heat in the early part of 

 the year. When the cuttings are well 

 rooted they may be potted up singly into 

 small pots, and kept in a close warm 

 frame or greenhouse for some time until 

 well established. Frequent sprinklings 

 overhead with tepid water will be very 

 beneficial, as the young plants do not like 

 a dry atmosphere. 



V. aconitifolia (Ampelopsis triloba; 

 A.lucida; A. tripartita ; V.cUssecta). — 

 A slender, elegant and free-growing Chin- 

 ese species, with long reddish branches, 

 and leaves deeply out and lobed like those 

 of the Monkshood. There are two or 

 three forms in cultivation. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. acuminata. — A native of Eastern 

 Asia having narrow ovate entire leaves 

 rounded or sUghtly heart-shaped at the 

 base, gradually tapering to a sharp point 

 and scarcely toothed on the edges. The 

 upper surface is quite smooth, but the 

 under one is covered with a glaucous white 

 down. In autumn the plants are rendered 

 ornamental by the long narrow bunches 

 of large black Grapes. 



Culture So. as above. 



V. sestivalis {American Summer 

 Grape). — A North American climber 20 

 ft. long, with simple, rounded, heart- 

 shaped leaves, often variously lobed, 

 woolly beneath, rather smooth when old. 

 Flowers in May and June, scented like 

 Mignonette. Fruit black with a bloom, 

 pleasant-tasting, ripe in October, and 

 resembling the fruits of the Black Currant 

 in appearance. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. amurensis. — A vigorous grower 

 native of N. China, with the young 



stems and leaf stalks tinged with purple, 

 but not particularly coloured in autumn. 

 Culture dc. as above. 



V. arborea. — A beautiful N. American 

 species distinguished by its twice pinnate 

 leaves, the niunerous leaflets being small 

 and deeply toothed. It is of shorter and 

 more bushy growth than the other 

 species. Flowers in June, green, smaU, 

 succeeded by globose berries. This species 

 is also known as V. bipinnata,. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. arizonica. — A native of Arizona, 

 with a beautiful habit and very small 

 leaves. It looks well grown as a bush or 

 over a short stump. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. Berlandieri (V. monticola). — This 

 hardy Vine is a native of Texas and New 

 Mexico, and is remarkable for having 5- 

 angled stems covered with a crispy and 

 flaky down. The roundish heart-shaped 

 leaves are more or less 3-lobed and toothed, 

 and in autumn clusters of blackish- violet 

 berries are borne. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. californica. — A beautiful Californian 

 Vine remarkable for the deep crimson 

 colouring of its roundish downy leaves in 

 autumn. It is a vigorous grower, and 

 becomes more highly coloured in hot dry 

 seasons. It likes plenty of moisture at 

 the root in summer and repays for being 

 grown in deep rich soil. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. capreolata. — A native of the Tem- 

 perate Himalayas, with 5-foliolate leaves ; 

 leaflets more or less ovate-lance-shaped, 

 acute, 2-3 in. long. Fruit black, globose, 

 about the size of a Currant. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 may not be quite hardy in northern parts. 

 It is best on a south wall. 



V. Coignetise.— A beautiful Japanese 

 Vine, with large, heart-shaped, irregularly 

 toothed leaves 6-10 m. across, turning a 

 glorious crimson in autumn and having 

 the under surface more or less densely 

 covered with a reddish woolly down. 



Culture dc. as above. It is fairly 

 easily raised from imported seeds, but 

 some little diflioulty has been experienced 

 in obtaining plants in the usual way from 

 cuttings, although it grafts readily on 

 several of the American species. 



