14 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND C0T1AGE GARDENER. 
[ January 1, 1885. 
ripened, so that sufficient can be laid in without unduly crowding it. 
When grown to a pillar or on an upright trellis the operation is a 
little more difficult in order to keep the base well furnished, for they 
grow most luxuriantly at the top, and become crowded at the expense 
of the base. This is especially so on the former, and all strong shoots 
from the base must be preserved and occasionally cut back hard to 
induce them to produce others. The top should be kept well thinned, 
and in preference to taking a piece out at intervals it is better to cut 
one or two strong shoots that lead to the top close back to the base, 
when they will break again strongly. 
When trained upright at the front of a house the strongest shoots 
that are taking the lead can be laid out horizontally or brought into 
a lower position, while the weaker wood can be trained upright. This 
induces the strong wood to break into growth freely and keeps the 
bottom furnished. Pruning in other respects should be done the same 
as advised for the arched trellis, weak wood being removed or spurred, 
unripe wood shortened back, as well as any other shoots that are likely 
to crowd the trellis when they are tied in. In thinning some judg¬ 
ment must be exercised to remove badly placed shoots and lay in as 
far as practicable those starting from near the root, by which means 
only can the base of the plants be kept regulaily furnished. When 
grown as bushes the same system of pruning should be adopted, re¬ 
moving useless wood and shortening unripe growths. Strong shoots that 
spring from the base should be retained nearly their whole length, and 
pegged or tied as much in a horizontal position as possible to induce 
others to start freely from their base. This I have found preferable 
to hard pruning back. The favourite plan with us is to secure such 
shoots to three or four small stakes placed round the plants. 
From the moderate system of pruning recommended I have always 
been able to obtain the greatest quantity of buds suitable for cutting 
for decorative purposes. When large blooms are preferred to 
number the pruning must be more severely performed. On whichever 
system the plants are grown they must be well cut back to induce the 
formation of vigorous growth, which will be found to produce the 
largest and finest flowers. If the plants are on their own roots, or 
have rooted freely from the union of the stock and Rose, hard pruning 
will induce shoots to be produced freely from the base. When the 
plants are pruned severely there are fewer shoots about them, as 
quantities of wood are removed that would produce useful buds. The 
shoots from such plants, especially early in the season, are naturally 
stronger and more luxuriant than can possibly be the case when more 
than double the number is left. 
The larger-growing varieties, such as Gloire de Dijon, do not 
require much pruning until after they have flowered. In whatever 
position they may be trained weak shoots and unripe ends only are 
removed. Such growths as your correspondent describes have the 
laterals shortened to firm wood, and if there were room the whole of 
them would be laid in ; if not, the firmest only would be selected— 
say every alternate or every second on each side of the shoot, the 
remainder being shortened back to two or three eyes. Sub-laterals, 
or those that have been produced from side shoots, are also treated in 
the same way and tied to the trellis if ripe and room could be found 
for them ; if not, they would be spurred to one or two eyes according 
to their ripeness. With the exception of unripe ends the shoots of 
these varieties should be laid in their full length if room can be found 
for them. It may be mentioned that if the plants are trained upright 
under the roof, the more horizontally the shoots are placed the better 
will they break from every bud along the shoots, and if well ripened 
nearly every one will produce a flower. After flowering and young 
shoots are found issuing freely from the base of the wood that has 
flowered the operation of pruning these varieties should be completed. 
The flowering shoots should be removed to the point where young 
shoots are springing from them, leaving sufficient to again cover the 
trellis or space devoted to them. When leaders are laid in to cover 
the upper portion of a trellis they may be left nearly their entire 
length, but sufficiently far apart to allow room for side shoots and 
those from nearer the base being laid in freely. It may be mentioned 
that it is a good plan to prevent in these strong-growing varieties the 
production of second lateral growths as far as practicable, for very 
rarely do they ripen sufficiently to flower satisfactorily. Not 
only so, but they prevent to a large extent the main shoots from 
flowering as well as they otherwise would do. This is prevented by 
allowing the shoots to grow as much in an upright direction as 
possible, with care not to injure the point of the leaders.— 
W. B. 
CLIANTIIUS DAMPIERI. 
This lovely plant when well grown cannot fail to be highly appre¬ 
ciate t. Although long known in this country I fear few good specimens 
are to be found. This is without doubt owing to the difficulty of its 
culture. I have seen many endeavour to grow them, but their attempts 
have ended in failure. Where, however, plants are cultivated for their 
peculiarity or beauty this Glory Pea should not be omitted, as it : : s very 
striking in appearance, 
Seeds germinate freely, and there is no difficulty in this stage, but 
when the time comes for repotting the difficulty commences. Although it 
is a free-rooting plant, yet to injure a root will be almost certain death. To 
prevent this as much as possible the seed pots should not be drained in the 
ordinary way, but simply have a rough piece of fibry turf at the bottom, 
a3 the roots will cling to this, and will move with greater safety than 
when crocks are used, as they invariably fall off, bringing more or less of 
the roots w r ith them. They should be placed in the pots in which they 
are to flower before the roots are matted or through the hole at the 
bottom. The pots must be well drained, as they are very liable to damp 
off. The soil best suited to them is peat, loam, and sand, which should be 
used in a rough state broken by the hand. They should be placed in a 
warm house for a few days after potting, and water very sparingly. When 
the roots have taken to the new soil they should be placed where they can 
be fully exposed to sun and air. Although perennial in habit it often 
assumes a biennial character, not unusually dying off after flowering. I 
like to sow the seeds in February, as plants will thus be produced that 
will flower at the end of summer.— A. Andekson. 
CHOICE ALPINE PLANTS. 
Paroch^etus communis. —Judging by its specific name this at some 
period, or perhaps in its native home, was abundant; this, however, is 
not the case in English gardens now. There is no plant more charming 
for the rock garden than this at all times when in flower. It commences 
flowering in July, from which time I have known it to continue producing 
flowers to the end of October. At so late a date it is doubly valuable, 
since the numbers of outdoor flowering plants are becoming conspicuous 
by their absence, and when we can gather a few bunches of its pretty 
porcelain blue flowers at this season we are apt to regard it at its full 
worth. It is of trailing habit and somewhat wiry growth, and besides 
being so good a rock plant, it makes an excellent plant for baskets, where 
its flowers may be seen to advantage overhanging the sides. It has long 
been an inhabitant of our gardens, having come from Nepaul in the early 
part of the present century. It is quite hardy, though I prefer to give it 
frame protection during winter. It delights in somewhat strong and sandy 
loam, in rather sunny positions, kept fairly moist in the growing season, 
and is propagated by seeds and by division. In short, it is one of those 
charmiog plants of blue that lighten the rock garden at any season of 
the year, of a colour, too, that associates well with others, and which, 
unfortunately, is not sufficiently common. 
Petrocallis pyrenaica. —One of the choicest and at the same time 
most difficult to manage of alpine plants. To see it in its mountain home 
snugly nestling among the rocks, or as a cushion @n some projecting ledge, 
it has a somewhat singular appearance. It requires all the abilities of 
the experienced grower of alpines to succeed with it, and it is rarely seen 
in good condition. There is no real need for such a state of things as this, 
seeing that it inhabits a wide geographical area— i.e., in various paits of 
southern Europe, the Tyrol, northern Italy, besides the locality which is 
signified in its specific name, and from each of these it may be collected 
somewhat plentifully, not only in plants, but seeds can be had in due 
course. The latter, however, will need great care, as they are exceedingly 
minute, and when sown should be barely covered, the best plan beiDg to 
scatter lightly some silver sand over them, covering them with a sheet of 
darkened glass. This must be removed when signs of life appear, for 
never were good healthy plants grown for any time in a glass s'ructure, 
indeed it is often ruined—sent into a rapid decline, so to speak, by being 
placed under glass. It is perfectly hardy, and delights in a free pure 
atmosphere. The choice rock garden is the place for it under cultivation, 
choosing a sunny spot at all times. The soil it delights in is saudy loam, 
with about one-sixth part of fibrous peat, to which add an abundance of 
small stone3 or broken bricks. It delights in having its roots against the 
side of a stone which is invariably moist and cool, and it must never suffer 
from drought. It forms fresh light green cushions of thrice-divided leaves, 
about an inch high, and covered with its delicate lilac purple-shaded 
flowers, which emit a faint odour. The general appearance of this plant 
bears some resemblance to the tufted Saxifragas. It is a most pleasing 
alpine, and may be increased by division when the plants are sufficiently 
large. This should be done in early autumn, thus giving a chance for tbe 
plants to re-establish themselves before winter, taking care to plant firmly. 
Care must at all times be exercised in dealing with it, and those 
unacquainted with its requirements will do well to take a lesson from 
more experienced persons. 
Daphne rupestris.— -This little Rock Daphne is a beautiful alpine, 
and forms a neat diminutive bush about 2 inches high, spreading when 
well established into dense compact tufts or carpets, and covered with a 
perfect mass of its deliciously fragrant blossoms as to almost hide its 
shining, fleshy, and somewhat spoon-shaped leaves. It suipasses in 
general excellence the well-known sweet-scented trailing Daphne, 
D. Cneorum, but at present it is very rare and only occasionally met with. 
Its flowers are of soft rose colour, and individually are much larger than 
those of D. Cneorum, which, considering the size of the plants under notice, 
is saying a good deal. In point of fragrance it equals the ever-welcome 
D. indica, so that it is only fair to assume that in it we have an alpine 
which can vie with the rarest of the rare. It is not an easy matter to 
describe the ecstacies of delight the alpine lover will occasionally indulge 
in when some new or rare gem is seen in perfect condition, and I well 
remember my feelings when I first made its acquaintance. Its clustered 
heads of deliciously fragrant flowers, together with its pigmy innocence, 
seemed without a rival. Though small, it is of considerable import, and 
the powerful fragrance emitted from large patches will never be forgotten. 
