162 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ July, 
an impartial trial equally with ground vineries, copings, screens, and the 
other devices which have been proposed to afford the necessary shelter to 
the trees. 
M. 
REMARKS ON CLIMBING PLANTS. 
CONCERNING greenhouse and conservatory climbers, I would remark? 
that to cultivate them successfully, properly prepared borders are 
absolutely necessary. A simple and economical, yet efficient mode 
c q^> of making these, I will now describe. 
With the excavations necessary to 4 be made for the foundation of 
houses in course of construction, remove all the soil within the area to he 
covered. This done, the necessary space for that fundamental and needful 
commodity, a soft-water tank, must be marked out, and the formation of 
the tank he proceeded with. It must he built in the exact centre of the 
excavation, in size according to the supply needed, and the volume of 
water likely to flow thereto. The walls of the tank become a boundary 
line, within the limits of which the roots must confine themselves. By 
means of a border next the wall, it will he the more possible to allocate 
distinctive composts, formed by proper admixture, to suit the different 
varieties of plants intended to be planted at the back or front of the struc¬ 
ture, according to their individual requirements. Besides, by keeping the 
roots within bounds—within a more limited area than ordinary—it will 
be the more possible to afford a bountiful supply of fresh water at the 
growing season. 
Around the outer base of the tank, when finished, the necessary rubble, 
&c., to insure an efficient drainage, should be placed and rammed down 
firmly. This will also be needful with the soils, which should be mode¬ 
rately dry, and placed in successive layers, that they may be rammed down 
the more effectively. Plants in a state of nature—a good teacher withal— 
ramify freely into firm, all but solidified strata, in which they thrive apace. 
Depend upon it, therefore, soils too slightly compressed, are oftener the 
source of non-successful culture, than any other form of ill-treatment 
extant. When the subject of paving such houses is under consideration, 
always endeavour to form as large a surface border, contiguous to those 
previously formed under ground as possible, without in any degree, how¬ 
ever, restricting pedestrian comfort. 
The inside walls of all structures against which “ creepers ” are in¬ 
tended to be grown, should have wire trelliswork, neatly attached, and 
afterwards be well coated over with Portland cement; for if whitening, 
paint, or lime be used, frequent disfigurement is likely to occur through the 
growth of parasitical mosses, or of fungoid formations, which are induced 
to grow in such positions through the abundance of moisture and shade 
