CLIMBERS AND TWINERS. 
355 
best time to plant is in October and November, or in February 
and March, but as plants are usually sold in pots it does not 
signify if they are planted later. In planting simply remove 
the drainage from the ball, but do not disturb the roots. Press 
the new soil firmly round the ball and give a good watering 
afterwards. 
As regards pruning, the species specially described as such, 
require no pruning beyond removing dead wood in February. 
This advice specially applies to C. montana. The less it is 
pruned the more freely it will flower. Coming to the hybrids, 
those belonging to the patens, florida, and lanuginosa sec- 
tions flower on the old wood, therefore the only pruning they 
really need is the thinning out of weak, straggling or over- 
crowded shoots in February, and removing the tips of other 
unripened snoots in * ebruary or March. The Viticella and 
Jackmanii sections flower on the young wood, and as it is 
necessary to ensure a good supply of this, the preceding 
summer’s growth should be cut back to within 6in. of its base 
in November, or not later than February. In cases, however, 
where these kinds are climbing over trees or on high trellises, 
the dead or weak wood need only be removed. The object of 
pruning is to keep the plants neat-looking and ensure large 
flowers. The Coccinea hybrids only require weak growths to 
be removed and the unripened ends of other shoots to be 
cut off. 
Now a word as to the many ways in which clematises may 
be turned to account in garden decoration. First of all, the 
hybrids may be utilised for clothing arches, trellises, pergolas, 
aarbours or fences. For this purpose they are admirably 
adapted. The Jackmanii and Lanuginosa hybrids are also well 
adapted for w'reathing entrance porches or clothing pillars. 
Strong growers like C. montana and C. Flammula are specially 
suitable for lofty sunny walls, pergolas, or rambling over old 
trees. An old tree draped with C. montana, in flower in May, 
is a glorious sight. C. Jackmanii, The Queen, etc., also make 
exceedingly effective climbers tor rambling over low trees or 
bushes, dead tree stumps, banks, and so on. Then for grow- 
ing in beds all the hybrids of Jackmani and Lanuginosa are 
specially adapted. The shoots in this case have to be trained 
to a wooden or u'ire frame fixed over the bed. A good rich 
soil must be provided and the plants grown about 3 to 4ft. 
apart to produce a good effect. Clematises should never be 
planted against newly galvanised wire arches, as the free acid 
left on the latter destroys the young shoots. Wooden arches 
are undoubtedly the best for growing clematises. 
Clematises should be given a liberal top-dressing of rotten 
manure every autumn, this being lightly forked in in spring. 
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