656 



TWO MEMBERS OF THE AMPELOPSIS FAMILY. 



two feet apart, in soil enriched as for the column, and in 

 a few seasons they will form a wall of green 12 feet in 

 height Such a screen will present a lively, picturesque 

 appearance for many years, with almost no care beyond 

 that involved in getting it started. The soil about the 

 roots of the plants should be kept clear of obnoxious 

 growth, a proper course being to have the grass of the 

 lawn come up quite against the vines. If the hose be 

 turned upon the plants frequentl)- during seasons of 

 drouth, their growth would be much finer and stronger. 

 Screens or dividing lines of Vir- 

 ginia creeper can be made of any 

 height or breadth. Their use in 



should then be removed, and the seedlings fully exposed 

 to the sunlight. All the attention the young plants need 

 is to keep them clear of weeds and the surface of le 

 bed loose. With such attention they will make a growth 

 of from two to three feet the first season, and double 

 their length each year following. Four years ago I 

 started seeds of the ivy as above mentioned ; to-day 

 some of the vines are 60 feet high, covering the trunk 

 and limbs of a large American elm, and thus forming a 

 very handsome object. This is the simplest way to mul- 

 tiply the ampelopsis, as there is little or no care involved, 

 and the cost of stock is a mere nothing. 



People who own greenhouses can grow strong plants 

 more quickly, as the seeds of ampelopsis may be 

 started in autumn or winter in a box two inches 



11 



HG. j:— iCKEHN AND ARCHWAY OF ViRGiNIA i_KbbHhk. 



place of hedges in gardens is well worthy of considera- 

 tion. They develop much more quickly, and are cared 

 for with less trouble than hedges. They are also devoid 

 of the air of stiffness which, to the minds of many, is a 

 great objection to close-clipped hedges. 



AMPELOPSIS VEITCHII. 



The Boston ivy is unexcelled for covering stone, brick 

 or rough wooden walls, and will also readily attach itself 

 to trunks of rough-barked trees like the American elm, 

 cedar, etc. This beautiful creeping vine is entirely free 

 from insects, and is said by all whose walls are covered 

 with it to have a decidedly cooling effect on the interior 

 of the house. There are many fine specimens of this 

 lovely ivy to be seen on private dwellings and churches 

 in the city of Brooklyn. Rev Dr Talmage has lost no 

 time in setting this useful plant around his recently con- 

 structed, magnificent tabernacle. The edifice is built of 

 fough-faced brick with brownstone trimmings — just what 

 the ampelopsis delights to cling to. 



This ampelopsis is of easy culture. It can be grown 

 from cuttings taken from ripened wood early in April, 

 cut in lengths of seven inches, and set five inches deep in 

 a prepared border of deep loam in the open ground. It 

 can also be increased by seeds, started outdoors the first 

 week in May ; seed that matured the preceding fall is 

 best. Prepare a bed of light, sandy loam around the 

 wall or object that the ivy is to cover. Sow three seeds 

 together, half an inch deep and about a foot apart in the 

 row, and give water gently when the surface shows indi- 

 cations of dryness. If the situation be in a sunny expo- 

 sure, shake a light layer of salt hay or loose straw over 

 the whole seed-bed, allowing it to remain on till the 

 seeds sprout and form their first leaves. The shading 



deep, filled with sandy loam. Sow them about 

 their own depth, and place the box in a gentle 

 heat — say 60 or 70 degrees by day, and 8 or 10 

 degrees less at night. Plants started in this man- 

 ner, if transplanted two or three inches apart in 

 f^i similar boxes, and grown on until time of plant- 

 ^» ing in the open ground, will make fine, strong, 

 — '-^^ healthy specimens Remember that though old 

 vines are perfectly hardy, in this tender condition 

 young plants should be gradually exposed to out- 

 door temperature before setting them out — say May 15. 

 Those who do not care to take the trouble of starting 

 ampelopsis from seeds can buy good plants from florists 

 at reasonable rates. Select healthy plants eight or ten 

 inches long ; these will more readily attach themselves 

 to objects the)- are to cover than larger plants. 



Many people say that vines on the walls of dwellings 

 cause dampness inside, but this I cannot believe. The 

 shade of the Boston ivy keeps the sun from heating so 

 intenseh' the bricks or stone walls of houses in cities, 

 and if landlords would plant it about their houses to 

 ward off the hot sun's rays in the scorching months of 

 July and August, they would be doing a great deal to 

 comfort their tenants, who are much oppressed with the 

 summer heat. This ivy is very accommodating in its 

 habit It sheds all its leaves in November, allowing the 

 sun to shine with all its might on house walls through 

 the cold, dreary winter, again taking on a beautiful man- 

 tle of green foliage in May. 



It may be interesting to know that this ivy is closely 

 allied to the grape family, hence its name, ampelopsis. 

 Its specific name, Veitchii, is after James Veitch, a cele- 

 brated horticulturist of London, England, who first in- 

 troduced it into London from Japan in 1868. It is com- 

 monly known as "Japan ivy" and "Boston ivy," the 

 latter name from being so extensively used in beautifying 

 suburban homes in the vicinity of Boston. The Boston 

 ivy differs in appearance from its relative, the Virginia 

 creeper, in having three-lobed instead of five-divided 

 leaves, and in climbing by means of root-like dingers all 

 along its stems, instead of by flat discs at the ends of the 

 tendrils. There are other species of ampelopsis, inferior 

 to these, and presenting no special claims to attention. 

 Brooklyn. John A. Boyle. 



