VI'CIA. 



299 



VINE. 



taken in spring, when the leaves I 

 drop, to have them swept away every 

 day, as they have an extremely dis- 

 agreeable smell when they are decay- 

 ing, and are said to he very unwhole- 

 some. The tree Viburnum (V. 

 Lantago) is a native of North Ame- 

 rica, and it forms a very hardy and 

 handsome low tree in British gardens. 

 It is also valuable for 'the great 

 abundance of its berries, which are a 

 favourite food with birds. The Way- 

 faring Tree, or Wild Guelder Rose 

 (V. Lantana), is another interesting 

 small tree ; and V. cotinifblium is a 

 beautiful species from Nepaul. The 

 most interesting kind of Viburnum 

 grown in small gardens is, however, 

 the Guelder Rose, or Snowball Tree, 

 V. Opulus. This is a deciduous 

 shrub, a native of Europe and part of 

 Asia, which is always found in a wild 

 state in swampy thickets. In a wild 

 state its principal beauty lies in its 

 bright red berries ; but in a state of 

 cultivation its heads of flowers be- 

 come so compact, of such a snowy 

 whiteness, as amply to justify its 

 popular name of the Snowball Tree. 

 All the Viburnums are hardy in 

 British gardens ; and they will all 

 grow freely in any common soil. 

 They are generally propagated by 

 layers, but cuttings will strike freely 

 if kept moist, and in a shady situation. 

 When transplanted the evergreen 

 species should be removed in October 

 or November, as they have few fibrous 

 roots, and are very apt to be killed by 

 a continuance of dry weather if they 

 are transplanted in spring. 



Yi , ciA..~LeguminoscB.-- The Vetch. 

 The ornamental species are generally 

 pretty climbing plants, with purplish 

 flowers, natives of Europe. Some of 

 the kinds, however, have white, some 

 pink, others blue, and others pale 

 yellow flowers. All the kinds grow 

 freely in any garden soil, though 

 they thrive most when the soil is 



deep and sandy ; and they are propa- 

 gated by seeds or divisions of the 

 roots. 



Vieusseu x xia. — Iridece. — The 

 Peacock Iris. These beautiful 

 flowers are better known under their 

 old names of Iris Pavonia and 

 Morce^a, than under their present 

 almost unpronounceable appellation. 

 They are very nearly hardy, and may 

 be grown in the open border, if 

 treated as directed for Ixia (p. 1 55) ; 

 but as the bulbs are very small and 

 delicate, it is, perhaps, safer to grow 

 them in pots, in equal parts of peat, 

 vegetable-mould, and sand, and to 

 keep tbem dry, or take them out of 

 the pots when tbey have done flower- 

 ing till the planting or growing sea- 

 son returns the following year. 



Vi'nca. — Apocynece. — The Peri- 

 winkle. There are two species com- 

 mon in British gardens, both of which 

 are creeping or trailing evergreen 

 shrubs, which will grow freely under 

 the shade of trees. They both prefer 

 a soft, moist soil, which they can 

 easily penetrate with their long creep- 

 ing roots. V. major is the common 

 species, and V. minor only differs in 

 the flowers being smaller, and the 

 whole plant more delicate. The 

 Periwinkle is generally propagated by 

 its runners, which strike root from 

 every joint, like those of the straw- 

 berry, and which only want dividing 

 from the parent to become plants. 

 When it is wished to make the Peri- 

 winkle produce seeds, the plant should 

 be grown in a pot, and all the lateral 

 shoots cut off. 



Vine. — The common Vine (Vitis 

 vinifera) may often be introduced 

 with very good effect in ornamental 

 garden scenery, for covering a bower 

 or verandah, or training round the 

 window of a breakfast room. Nothing 

 can, indeed, be more beautiful than a 

 vine in the last-mentioned situation, 

 forming a framework, as it were, to 



