VIT 
WEI 
by a strand of bass, in most cases they 
will vegetate in the ensuing season. The 
cleft in the bark must be made completely 
through, so as to come at the wood be¬ 
neath, into which the mistletoe insinuates 
its fibres, and thus lives entirely on the 
strength of its supporter. It is of slow 
growth, but on healthy trees will attain a 
diameter of four or five feet in about ten 
years. Birdlime is made from the bark 
and berries macerated, and boiled in 
water. 
YITEX, Chaste tree (Linn.) Nat. 
Order, Verbenacece. The only hardy 
species, V. agnus-castus , is a shrub of 
moderate growth, with digitate leaves, 
five or seven together, and panicled spikes 
of white, tinged with blue flowers, pro¬ 
duced in whorls, the spikes varying in 
length from five to fifteen inches. It 
grows in any common soil, but will not 
bear the drip of other trees. The leaves 
have a powerful aromatic odour when 
dried, and the seeds have been celebrated 
from the time of Dioscorides and Pliny, 
for securing chastity. Hence both the 
generic and specific names. They have 
an aromatic pungency, to which, however, 
modern writers have ascribed quite an 
opposite quality. The tree or shrub is 
worth a place in extensive shrubberies, 
and may be propagated by cuttings, 
struck under a handlight, or by layers, 
put down in spring or autumn. There 
is a variety called latifolia, better worth 
attention, because of its ample and hand¬ 
some foliage. 
"V ITIS, Vine (Linn.) Nat. Order, 
Vitacece. Although but one species and 
its varieties are usually considered worth 
cultivating (the well-known grape-vine), 
the genus contains several others, which, 
in the present paucity of hardy climbers, 
may occasionally be worth introducing 
for the sake of variety and their botanical 
interest. There are eight or nine species, 
besides a few varieties, which, though of 
no value as fruit-bearing plants, yet afford 
an agreeable shade or cover with only 
the ordinary attention of the class. 
V. riparia has an agreeable fragrance, and 
a variegated variety of V. restivalis or 
vulpina is a particularly pleasing object. 
There are also some American varieties 
of tills species, which produce ripe berries 
in our climate in July, and, though of 
too strong a flavour to be of esteem for 
eating, are sufficiently interesting when 
covering arbours and such places. Laci- 
niosa, also, is worth a place in similar 
positions; its bright green, deeply cut 
leaves, resembling those of some parsley, 
are very remarkable. It also is fragrant, 
and the small, deep purple berries have a 
pleasing appearance in autumn. Like 
the ordinary grape-vine, these delight in 
rich, loamy earth. They are all readily 
increased by cuttings of the preceding 
year’s shoots, taken off in spring; and, 
being cut into lengths of two or more 
joints, should be struck in a gentle heat. 
Their subsequent treatment will be con¬ 
fined to an annual pruning, to keep them 
within bounds, and the necessary atten¬ 
tion to training and securing the growing 
shoots through the summer. The species 
carribbcea , or indica , and ccesia, will re¬ 
quire a sheltered spot to grow in, and 
should be matted up in winter; but the 
remainder of the genus, being mostly 
natives of North America, will bear ex¬ 
posure to 1 the rigours of our climate 
without suffering injury; and it would 
be worth the attention of the curious in 
such matters, to attempt the cross im¬ 
pregnation of some of the earlier fruiting 
kinds, as the varieties of the fox-grape 
and others, with some of our superior 
kinds, in order, if possible, to obtain an 
early grape of good flavour, which might 
be cultivated for its fruit in the open air 
with a superior degree of success than 
now attends the culture of such as we 
possess. 
WEIGELA (Thunbeeg). Nat. Ord. 
Caprifoliacece . W. rosea , the only intro¬ 
duced species, is one of the finest things 
of recent importation. It is a native of 
China, whence it was sent by the Horti¬ 
cultural Society’s collector, Mr. Eortune. 
Joined to a neat yet robust habit, this 
plant presents attractions equally in its 
pleasing bright green foliage through the 
summer, and the very handsome flowers 
which distinguish it in spring. It delights 
in porous, friable loam, where it grows 
with great vigour, and without any par¬ 
ticular attention to pruning or training, 
forms an equal round-headed shrub, and 
