124 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



traveller or the artist when passing some humble cottage by the 

 wayside. 



Again, in regard to the covering of unsightly buildings, trunks of 

 trees, old stumps, and walls that are not considered good enough 

 for Roses, &c, in nine cases out of ten Ivy is the only plant used. 

 Now Ivy is one of our most beautiful and useful Creepers, and I 

 well know its value ; but I must own that, to see the wholesale 

 way it is used as a covering for bare spaces, one would almost 

 think it was the only plant available for forming a natural 

 tapestry. When rightly employed — as, for instance, on some old 

 castle or church tower, creeping out of the reach of knife and 

 shears — the Ivy is a grand plant ; but, on the other hand, it 

 should not be forgotten that while many trees are ruined by 

 being covered with Ivy, some other Creepers, such as fast- 

 growing Roses, Wistarias, Honeysuckles, Clematis of sorts, Aristo- 

 lochias, Bignonias,Vitis, &c, rambling in all their natural beauty, 

 would not injure the trees to anything like the same extent, 

 and would be of the greatest possible advantage in the way of 

 covering the trunk or stem of many an unsightly tree. 



During the last fifteen or twenty years many Creepers have 

 found favour in our large towns, particularly in London, and 

 none more so than the Ivy, Virginian Creeper, and Ampelopsis 

 Veitchii. These plants are well adapted to our smoky towns, and 

 in hot summer weather have a very cool and refreshing look ; 

 while in autumn the bright tinted foliage of the Ampelopsis 

 growing in company with the Ivy forms a most striking and 

 beautiful picture. I am also pleased to see that the Clematis, 

 particularly the purple one (Jackmanii), is fast growing in favour, 

 and right well does it flourish even in smoky London. And I 

 would here draw attention to the early-flowering class of Clematis, 

 namely, the Florida group; these flower from May to July, 

 blossoming on the old ripened wood. They should, therefore, not 

 be cut down, but only have the weak wood annually thinned out. 

 The Montana group also should be widely planted, as it will, 

 like JacJcmanii, grow very freely in almost any ordinary garden 

 soil. 



And while I am speaking of Creepers that will do well in 

 and around London, I should like to mention a few others that 

 I can recommend, namely, the beautiful Wistaria, Garrya ellip- 

 iica, Bignonia radicans, Cydonia japonica, Escallonia of sorts, 



