erlook when planting vines about the house. Like
Clematis _flammula_, a summer-blooming relative of great value both for
its beauty and because it is a native, it is likely to die pretty nearly
to the ground in winter, but, because of rapid growth, this is not much
of an objection. By the time the flowers of either variety are likely to
come in for a fair share of appreciation, the vines will have grown to
good size.

For the middle and southern sections of the northern states the Wistaria
is a most desirable vine, but at the north it cannot be depended on to
survive the winter in a condition that will enable it to give a
satisfactory crop of flowers. Its roots will live, but most of its
branches will be killed each season.

Ampelopsis _Veitchii_, more commonly known as Boston or Japan Ivy, is a
charming vine to train over brick and stone walls in localities where it
is hardy, because of its dense habit of growth. Its foliage is smaller
than that of the native Ampelopsis, and it is far less rampant in
growth, though a free grower. It will completely cover the walls of a
building with its dark green foliage, every shoot clinging so closely
that a person seeing the plant for the first time would get the idea
that it had been shorn of all its branches except those adhering to the
wall. All its branches attach themselves to the wall-surface, thus
giving an even, uniform effect quite unlike that of other vines which
throw out branches in all directions, regardless of wall or trellis. In
autumn this variety takes on a rich coloring that must be seen to be
fully appreciated.

[Illustration: JAPAN IVY GROWING ON WALL]

Our native Celastrus, popularly known as Bittersweet, is a very
desirable vine if it can be given something to twine itself about. It
has neither tendril nor disc, and supports itself by twisting its new
growth about trees over which it clambers, branches--anything that it
can wind about. If no other support is to be found it will twist about
itself in such a manner as to form a great rope of branches. It has
attractive foliage, but the chief beauty of the vine is its clusters of
pendant fruit, which hang to the plant well into winter. This fruit is a
berry of bright crimson, enclosed in an orange shell which cracks open,
in three pieces, and becomes reflexed, thus disclosing the berry within.
As these berries grow in clusters of good size, and are very freely
produced, the effect of a large plant can be imag