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JANUARY, 1909 
upon trellises or arbors. The Japanese 
gardeners understand their great value, and 
by training them as arbor plants bring out 
the great profusion and brilliancy of their 
pendulous flowers. We frequently find 
wistarias trained to standard, or tree, form, 
and when such plants are well cared for, 
have symmetrical heads, and are planted in 
a lawn, nothing is more attractive in early 
spring. The blooming period may be 
extended from March to the middle of May 
South, and from May until the middle of 
June at the North, by planting the different 
kinds. The first to bloom are the Chinese 
purple and white, which are perhaps the most 
valuable. These are followed by the Japa- 
anese forms, Allenii and multijuga. The 
latter has very long loose racemes, frequently 
two or three feet long. Then, the double- 
flowering purple Chinese gives an abundance 
of dark-purple flowers which last a long time. 
The improved American wistaria, W. frutes- 
cens, var. magnifica, is the most rampant 
grower, and if the new growth is occasionally 
cut back its lilac flowers may be had in 
limited number during the summer. This 
variety grows too vigorously to be trained as 
a standard. All wistarias should have their 
side branches pruned back to spurs during 
the fall or winter; which increases the pro- 
fusion of flowers as well as the size of their 
racemes. _ 
FOR SUMMER FLOWERS 
The showiest flowering vines of summer are 
found among the clematis hybrids, especially 
Jackmanni and Henryi, the favorite purple 
and white varieties. Their flowers include 
a wide range of colors, from a deep purple 
and intermediate to rose, red, and pure white. 
More than one hundred sorts are grown but 
a very satisfactory collection can be made 
in a dozen varieties which have been success- 
fully cultivated and by a careful selection of 
Jasminum primulinum as grown in a greenhouse 
at Highland Park, Rochester, N. Y. Four ever- 
green jasmines can be grown in the South 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
Wistarias, the showiest hardy flowering vines of 
spring. Mr. Berckmans tells how to prune them so 
as to get a big floral show 
the early and late blooming sorts, flowers 
may be had from May until October. 
Clematis vines require rich ground and 
should be well fertilized with stable manure 
during fall. The stems should be pruned 
in the autumn by cutting back part of the 
wood (but part of the old wood must be 
retained) as many of the best sorts blossom 
from the new growth. 
The trumpet creepers or Japanese bigno- 
nias (Tecoma radicans and grandiflora) pro- 
duce a continuous crop of very large orange- 
colored flowers from May until frost. The 
plants are best when trained upon posts and 
the branches cut back to spurs every spring; 
which will increase the size of the flowers. 
There are a few forms of this, differing 
chiefly in the size of the flowers and the shade 
of color. All are red or orange and perfectly 
hardy. 
The climbing hydrangea (Schizophragma 
hydrangeoides) may be roughly described 
as a climbing Hydrangea paniculata. This 
must be grown in very rich soil and a shady 
situation. 
In the Middle South we sometimes find 
Decumaria barbara, which has the appear- 
ance of the climbing hydrangea when covered 
with corymbs of white flowers in May or 
June. It requires a very rich, moist, shady 
situation, when it will often climb thirty to 
fifty feet upon trees. 
VALUED FOR SHOWY FRUITS 
An excellent rapid-growing climber for 
northern sections is the matrimony vine or 
Lycium barbarum. It is largely used for 
275 
covering trellises (see GARDEN MAGAZINE 
for October, 1908) and is covered during the 
summer with purple flowers which are fol- 
lowed with an abundant crop of large scarlet 
berries, which last till early winter. 
A native climber very commonly found in 
the northern sections is the bittersweet, 
Celastrus scandens. Its main merit consists 
in the profusion of its orange-crimson berries, 
which are retained all winter and are largely 
used for interior decorating. 
VALUED FOR DECORATIVE EFFECT 
Wild grapes are worth growing for their 
decorative foliage and fragrant, though incon- 
spicuous bloom. We have many native 
species of rapid growth and dense foliage. 
Japan has given us many desirable 
climbers, among which are the actinidias, 
of rapid growth, handsome foliage, and with 
delightfully fragrant but rather inconspi- 
cuous flowers. 
Those who desire a vine with very large 
leaves will find the birthworth or Dutchman’s 
pipe (Aristolochia Sipho) a most rapid grower 
that soon covers a veranda or pillar with 
dense foliage. 
Another excellent vigorous climber is the 
Grecian silk vine (Periploca Greca) with 
lanceolate leaves and numerous flowers 
brownish purple inside and greenish out- 
side. It blooms in August and is fairly 
hardy North. 
VALUED FOR THEIR GREAT HEIGHT 
For the purpose of covering high walls 
with a very rapid climber the most desirable 
is no doubt the Japan ivy (Ampelopsis 
Veitchii). Its great merit, independently of 
its luxuriant growth, is that it casts its foliage 
in the fall, thus cleaning itself of dust and 
dead branches or straw. Such litter is often 
accumulated by birds during summer, and 
is frequently very objectionable in the ever- 
green ivies. 
Japan ivy should not be used on wooden 
buildings or on dying trees. Virginia 
creeper is better for screening unsightly 
objects. Japan ivy is the best vine for great 
cities because it will grow to the top of a six 
story building from a hole in the pavement. 
GREENHOUSE CLIMBERS 
Where a greenhouse is added to a private 
place, many most excellent climbers of semi- 
hardy or tender habit may be grown to great 
advantage and bedded out during the 
summer. Of these we may mention as the 
most conspicuous and constant bloomers: 
Bougainvillea glabra, var. Sanderiana, with 
its enormous masses of lilac-colored flowers; 
Allamanda Hendersonii, with very large, 
bright-yellow flowers; Passiflora caerulea, 
Decaisneana, alata, quadrangularis, etc., 
will repay the winter greenhouse protection, 
as will also the Mexican mountain rose 
(Antigonon leptopus), that exquisite fall 
bloomer at the South which is covered with 
small rose-colored flowers. 
Many other excellent climbers can be util- 
ized but the kinds that have been described 
in this article will be found amply sufficient 
for all the different purposes named. 
