THE CLEMATIS, 



211 



C. Vitalba, are quite in keeping with wild scenery, whilst several 

 of the herbaceous and sub-shrubby species and varieties are worthy 

 of a place in the herbaceous or mixed border, viz. : C. Davidiana, 

 C. recta flore pleno, C. recta grandiflora, C. integrifolia hybrids, C. 

 Pallasi superba, &c. 



With regard to their cultivation, where it can be provided, a rich 

 soil of light loamy texture will be found the best, to which good rotten 

 manure should be added, and if some chalk or slaked lime can also 

 be mixed with it, so much the better. The hole should be dug at least 

 2 feet square and 2. feet deep, loosening the bottom and sides with a 

 fork. It should then be partly filled with the prepared compost, the 

 plant taken out of the pot and the crocks carefully removed, so as 

 to avoid damaging the roots, and planted in the hole so that when 

 finished off the ball is about 2 inches below the surface of the ground, 

 the soil being trodden firmly round the plant. The depth the plants 

 should be put in I consider of importance, as most of them are 

 propagated by grafting, and when planted so that the union of the 

 scion with the stock is well below the surface of the soil it will be 

 found they quickly form their own roots round it, and young shoots 

 are eventually sent up from the base, the roots of the stock itself 

 becoming inactive. 



Being rampant growers, the Clematis prefer a moist soil, though 

 thorough drainage is indispensable to good healthy development, and 

 the vigour of the plants should be maintained by annual manurings 

 with well-rotted horse- or cow-dung. 



Clematis also prefer a partly shaded position, so when it is intended 

 to plant them against a wall I would recommend one with an 

 easterly or westerly aspect in preference to full south, as they 

 thus escape the full blaze of the sun and the liability of getting dried 

 up and bark-bound through the inability of the fleshy roots to spread 

 a sufficient distance in search of moisture. A wall with wide over- 

 hanging eaves should be avoided. 



For growing in a conservatory or cool greenhouse, varieties of the 

 Azurae, Floridae, and Lanuginosae sections will be found the most 

 effective, though there are also a few of the less hardy species, such as 

 C. indivisa, C. indivisa lobata, and C. smilacifolia, which do well under 

 glass. 



The plants can be planted out in the conservatory or grown as 

 pot plants. If the latter method is adopted, the young plants should 

 be shifted into larger pots in March, to induce vigorous growth during 

 the summer. This, if properly developed and matured, will produce 

 abundance of lovely flowers the following spring. The young shoots 

 should be trained into position in the early spring, while dormant, so 

 that the young flowering shoots may be naturally distributed over 

 the space required before the blooms expand. The temperature 

 should not exceed 55 0 , as the Clematis does not respond well to 

 continual forcing, and if it is allowed to be higher the flowers will 

 not be of their true colour. 



