January 81, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
81 
gardener claiming bleeding to be harmless on the snpposition that he 
never saw a real case of severe bleeding. Mr. Muir’s Vine that bled 
“ gallons ” must have been a very marvellous plant indeed. I never 
saw a Vine bleed to that extent, and never knew anybody either who did. 
The most was at the rate of a teacupf-jl (or less) in about twelve hours, 
and continuing about two weeks, and the effect upon the Vines, and 
especially upon the shoots which bled, was very debilitating for two or 
three years afterwards, thus showing that bleeding produces both a local 
and general effect upon the Vine.— Non-Believek. 
I feel much interested in the subject of Vines bleeding, and, like 
“ Comber,” have been anticipating something from Mr. Muir concerning the 
Vine mentioned in the Journal of April 5th, 1883. Some modern writers 
on the Vine seem to think it a matter of no importance, while others who 
give practical hints on Vine-growing advise the use of a styptic to prevent 
bleeding. In one large private garden in the midlands where I served as 
foreman, in one of our early houses a pot Vine commenced to bleed soon 
after being placed in heat. We endeavoured to stop the bleeding by searing 
the wound with a red-hot iron and applying styptic, then sealing wax. 
Both these failed, and the Vine continued to bleed till it had made shoots 
2 or 3 inches long. The shoots were weak and the Vine was in every 
way inferior to the others in the house. The only inference we could 
draw was that the ill condition of this one was the result of excessive 
bleeding. The case of “ Comber’s ” Vines is singular. I have occasionally 
seen a Vine or two bleed slightly and then cease, but in such cases it has 
scarcely amounted to “ dropping,” and has occurred when a cane or two 
of Black Hamburgh has been planted with late varieties. The pruning that 
has been early enough for the late varieties has been a little too late for 
Black Hamburghs. The beginning of February is too late for pruning 
Vines ; the sooner they are pruned in the new year the better. There is 
nothing gained by leaving them till later. If Vines are pruned early 
there is no need to use styptic, in fact it is simply a waste of labour. If 
“ Comber ” prunes a fortnight or three weeks earlier another season I 
think he will find that no bleeding will follow.—E. Butts. 
CLIANTHUS DAMPIERI. 
To a correspondent who seeks information on the culture of Clian- 
thuses we commend the following article by Mr. G. Abbey; it may also 
possibly be careful to others who desire to cultivate this gorgeous flower¬ 
ing greenhouse plant. Now and then we see a plant of this, but rarely a 
well-grown specimen :—No finer subject (if indeed any can vie with it 
among greenhouse plants) is found among the Leguminosm. Its quaint 
flowers, 3 to 4 inches in length, are borne in clusters four to seven in 
number upon a rather stout 
erect stem ; they depend grace¬ 
fully, are of a fiery scarlet 
colour, with a glossy deep 
bluish - black centre or boss, 
which seen amid or above the 
elegant light shining glaucous- 
green foliage have quite a 
striking effect. 
Everybody of course knows 
that it is a native of Australia, 
and generally accepts it with 
C. puniceus as a climber. None 
of the plants I have grown of 
C. Dampirril are any climbirg 
tendency. The first shoot, it is 
true, rises erect, but is not long ere it seeks a dependent habit, and from 
the neck or collar of the' plant emanate shoots about the same time as 
the primary growths begin to depend, and those have not an upward ten¬ 
dency. This habit is so decided that I can imagine no finer subject 
planted upon a knoll or raised bed with the shoots allowed to ramble at 
their own “ sweet will” in all directions. The trusses of flowers will rise 
4 to 6 inches clear of the foliage, appearing as jewels of coral set in silver. 
Or grown in a large deep pot raised so as to be level with the eye, the 
shoots depending all around would be when in flower strikingly effective. 
The seed is sown early in June and placed in a hotbed, covering the 
seed about a quarter of an inch deep, the compost consisting of turfy 
loam three parts, sandy peat one part, leaf soil a part, half a part charcoal 
in sizes from a pea to a hazel nut, and half a part of silver sand, the loam 
and peat broken up rather roughly, the whole well incorporated. No 
difference is made in the compost afterwards, only old cow dung supplants 
the leaf soil at all subsequent pottings, and in case of the loam not being 
fibrous, equal parts of it and peat are taken. The seeds are placed two 
in a 4-inch pot, or several in a 6-inch, but the latter is not so good as the 
former, as the plants have to be potted off, which checks them consider¬ 
ably. So soon as the seedlings appear they are raised on an inverted pot 
near to the glass, the object being to keep the plants from drawing, especi¬ 
ally the stem beneath the first leaves. Water is given sparingly, and 
always just within the rim of the pot, it being only given when the soil 
becomes dry. The pots are afterwards placed upon slates, as when stood 
upon soil the roots speedily find their way into it through the drainage’ 
One crock and a lump of charcoal are employed for drainage. Shade is 
given the young plants after pottin them, but when established they are 
fully exposed to the sun. Only one plant is grown in a pot, and with a 
genial atmosphere they grow freely. In a cold, moist, stagnant atmo- 
phere they will not thrive, and drip upon their branches will destroy 
them. 
When the roots show at the bottom of the p ts shift into 7-inch, keep¬ 
ing well up in the centre and forming a dish all round just within the 
rim, using charcoal as before for drainage. If moderately moist when 
shifted, the soil employed being also moist, do not water after potting but 
wait a while, returning the plants to the frame. Never water until the 
soil be dry, and yet before the plants show distress, for this plant will not 
thrive in a parched soil. Red spider will come in due time, destroy it at 
the onset. Lay the plant on its side, syringe on the under side of the 
foliage forcibly, turning round so as to dislodge the enemy from every 
part. It must be done without deluging the soil with water, making it a 
quagmire. Repeat the syringing if necessary. 
From 7-inch transfer to 11-inch pots, leaving space all around just 
within the rim (witn the plant rather high in the centre) for watering. 
The drainage should be thorough—a fourth the depth of the pots. . Pot 
moderately firm in compost rough ra her than fine. Place in a pit or 
house, light, moderately airy, with plenty of room, having a temperature 
of 45° to 50° at night, 55° to 60° by day, o> that of an intermediate house, 
mine being kept in a pit up to the end of September and then transferred 
to a greenhouse with a temperature from fire heat of 45° to 40° at night, 
50° by day, but that temperature is too low. Noth withstanding, blooming 
commences in April and is continued until June. I have trans erred 
plants from 4-inch to 9-inch pots successfully, but those who can com¬ 
mand a position for planting out in a house with a winter temperature of 
50° would, I feel certain, be amply rewarded by increased size of plant 
and bloom. I have sown in April and grown the plants in frames, but 
Mg. 13.—Clianthus Dampieri. 
