293 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
SOME FALLACIES REGARDING THE CLEMATIS. 
By A. G. Jackman, F.R.H.S. 
[Read November 21, 1916; Dr. F. Keeble, F.R.S., in the Chair.] 
In August 1915 I had the honour of reading a paper before you entitled 
" The Clematis, its Development and Cultivation,"* and I now wish to 
thank the Council for again inviting me to give a lecture on this very 
interesting and beautiful class of plants. 
I have chosen for this lecture the title " Some Fallacies regarding 
the Clematis " because I wish to take an opportunity of disposing 
of some misconceptions, and of correcting some mis-statements which 
have been made from time to time, and repeated in certain sections 
of the Press. 
The principal misconception is with regard to the cause of the 
sudden " dying off " which unfortunately affects some of the Clematis. 
This, as I mentioned in my previous lecture, has been attributed by 
different writers to (1) frost ; (2) eelworms ; (3) the bursting of the 
cells through excessive moisture ; (4) too rich food ; (5) grafting. 
None of these reasons, as I have most definitely stated in my 
previous lecture, do I believe to be the principal cause. 
With regard to frost, there is no doubt that, owing to the Clematis 
being one of the earliest plants to break forth into growth, severe late 
spring frosts do damage them, if they are in an exposed position. 
This, however, is generally perceptible, but the facts that plants " die 
off " in seasons when there have not been any severe late frosts, and 
also when they have been growing under glass, effectively dispose 
of this theory. 
Eelworms are sometimes found on the roots, and, though injurious, 
are not the cause, as it is rather the exception than the rule to find 
them on the plants affected, and in many cases the roots, on examina- 
tion immediately after the plant has died back, have been found 
perfectly healthy. 
I have noticed the bursting of the bark, due to increased vigour 
of the shoots, after the earlier growth had become ripened and set, 
or to careless handling in training the shoots. This, in many cases, 
has no detrimental effect, but in others probably becomes the seat of 
the cause of the " dying off," as I will explain later on. 
With regard to too rich food, as previously stated, I do not 
remember any case of " dying off " coming under my notice where 
the cause could be brought home to overfeeding, and I can state most 
emphatically that, in the majority of cases I have seen, no such treat- 
ment has been given. 
* Journal R.H.S. vol. xli., p. 209 
