34 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



name Winter Sweet. A few twigs in a vase will per- 

 fume a large room with their spicy odour. In old gardens 

 one sometimes sees glorious plants, perfuming the air 

 mi mild winter days. It may be propagated by cuttings, 

 suckers, layers, and by seeds, the best method being 

 by layers, as many find that cuttings are troublesome to 

 strike, although gardeners occasionally strike them 

 freely by putting them in under a wall in early spring. 

 Suckers should soon become established when detached 

 with a few roots from the parent, and when layering 

 choose the strong shoots from the base of the plant. Put 

 them down in the autumn, or after flowering, and cut 

 each shoot half through on the under-side, pegging it 

 firmly in the soil, and keeping the cut part open. Cover 

 over with soil, and leave the layers thus for a year. 

 Seeds will germinate readily, but they are many months 

 in maturing. Of the various methods of propagation, 

 choose layering. Prune the shrub carefully, and in spring, 

 when the shoots may be cut back to within about 4m. 

 of the main branches; and it is upon the new growth 

 In mi these shoots that flow ers appear in the following 

 winter. The flowering twigs will be esteemed for indoor 

 decorations, but w holesale hacking must not be indulged 

 in. Grandiflorus is a variety with larger flowers than 

 the type. Seedlings vary considerably as regards size 

 and colour of the flowers. 

 Clematis. — This is a beautiful family of climbing plants, 

 a t 1 e a s t the 

 majority of the 

 kinds are of 

 r a m b 1 i n g 

 growth, and the 

 wonderful diver- 

 sity of character 

 dist i nguishing 

 the various 

 species and 

 varieties enables 

 a large number 

 to be used in the 

 same garden 

 without mono- 

 tonous eflect. 

 As there are 

 between seventy 

 and eight y 

 species, some 

 stove climbers, 

 some happy only 

 in the green- 

 house, and some 

 hardy, it follows 

 that in all parts 

 of the garden 

 they may be 

 present. For covering bare spaces of wall or trellis, 

 garlanding archways and tree trunks, and for using, 

 with other climbers, on such structures as summer- 

 houses, arbours, and pergolas, they are of much 

 value. To produce a good effect, however, the Clematis 

 should be liberally treated. The soil in which it is 

 planted should be rich and deep, while, during the 

 period of growth, frequent waterings in dry weather and 

 applications of liquid fertilisers will be found beneficial. 

 For pots, the large-flowered varieties are very effective, 

 when grown in large pots and trained over balloon-shaped 

 wire trellises, as they almost cover their foliage w ith great 

 star flowers. The usual method of propagation is by 

 grafting on the roots of C. Flammula or some other strong- 

 growing kind, but grafted plants have a way of dying off 

 suddenly, and layering is the most satisfactory method of 

 increasing the stock. To effect this a partially-ripened 

 shoot should be cut with a sharp knife halfway through 

 the stem, between two joints, and a cut made up 

 the centre of the stem and carried through the joint 

 above. This cut should be kept open with a piece of 

 moss and the shoot bent down into a depression filled with 

 porous soil, and pegged firmly in position, more soil of the 



same quality being added above it till the surface is 

 brought up to the general level of the bed. Never allow 

 the soil to become dry, and the wound will soon 

 begin to emit roots ; the rooted layer may eventually 

 be divided from the parent plant and transferred to 

 another position. 



The following list gives the majority of the hardy 

 climbing species, some of which, however, are not in 

 general cultivation : 



C. baleariea, from Minorca, bearing wide-mouthed, bell- 

 shaped flowers, white, spotted with claret in the interior. 

 This is quite hardy in the south-west of England, where 

 it commences to bloom, during mild winters, in January. 

 It is synonymous with C. calycina. 



C. CajPlllea, from Japan, bearing large violet-coloured 

 flowers during June and July. There are several named 

 varieties of this Clematis. 



C. Campaniflora, a native of Spain and Portugal, flowers 

 purplish-white. 



C. CirrhOSa, very similar to C. baleariea, with which it is, 



by some, considered synonymous, but it is distinct. 

 C. COCeinea is a very distinct bright red-flowered kind 



for a warm soil and wall. 

 C. Flammula {Virgin's bower). — A well-known hardy 

 climber, much used in this country, bearing small while 

 sweetly-perfumed flowers in great numbers during the 

 latter part of the summer. It is one of our oldest exotic 



climbers, having 

 been introduced 

 from South 

 Europe in 1 596. 



C. florida, from 



|apan, bearing 

 large white 

 flowers from 

 June to August. 

 There is a hand- 

 some double 

 form of this 

 Clematis. 



C. Fortunei, a 



Japanese 

 species. It 

 hears fragrant 

 double - white 

 flowers about an 

 inch in diameter. 

 There are three 

 named varieties. 



C. graveolens, 



from Chinese 

 Tartary, bearing 

 scented yellow 

 flowers in 

 August, the 

 seed-vessels of which, later on, become furnished with 

 feathery tails as in the case of C. Vitalba. 

 C. lanuginosa, a native of China, bearing large light- 

 blue flowers 7in. in diameter. The reverses of the 

 leaves are woolly. The variety pallida produces even 

 larger flowers. 



C. montana, from Nepaul, is hardy in almost every 

 locality in England. It bears numerous ivory-white 

 flowers iiin. to 2in. in diameter in May and June. It is 

 a rapid climber, and is especially suitable for draping the 

 branches of evergreen trees, such as Yews, Portugal 

 Eaurels, and old Hollies. In good soil it will attain a 

 height of from 40ft. to 50ft. in a few years. 



C. OPientalis, from the Levant, produces yellowish- 

 white flowers in August. 



C. panieulata, from Japan, bearing white, sweet-scented 

 flowers in July. It has a great resemblance to C. 

 Flammula. 



C. patens, from Japan, bearing large white flowers in June. 

 C. Piteheri, a native of the United States, bearing dull 



purple, bell-shaped flowers in Jul) - and August. 

 C. SOngariea, from the East, bearing yellow flowers 



similar to those of C. graveolens, but smaller. 



