Some of the varieties have large white flowers which are finer than a Clematis, and of the fruit of large-flowered ones the prettiest hanging-baskets are made. Saw them in two when thoroughly ripe and dry, remove the pulp, scrape the shell clean and thin and give a coat of green or brown shellac inside and out, and hang with brass chains. They are more satisfactory if the gourds are a year old and perfectly dry. A hole must be made for drainage, and in case of bowls, tiny supports fastened to the bottom with glue to raise them from the table, as without the free circulation of air they are liable to mould.
A DEAD TREE DRAPED WITH VINES
Seed must be sown as early as possible that the fruit may have time to ripen before frost. Set out when all danger of frost is past in any garden soil in a sunny position where they will have good support, as they are vigorous and rapid climbers and will quickly go to the top of a tall tree. They are liable when first set out to be eaten off by cutworms, and they should be protected by a bottomless tin can sunk into the ground two or three inches, care being taken that there are no worms inside the can. The gourds do not grow for some little time after setting out, as they are making roots; but once they begin the development is rapid.
The variegated Japanese Hop is another summer vine that should be extensively grown. Its large, handsome foliage, freely splashed with white, is very showy and effective, and it thrives in almost any situation and soil, though paying well for extra care or attention in the way of cultivation, watering, and food. The vines are not hardy, but, as they self-sow, once established they are practically permanent. Several plants should be set near each other, as only the female plant bears seed. The leaves of this are smaller and the vine more slender. The great-leaved, robust vine bears no seed.
It is better to plant the seed in the fall, as when planted in the spring it may not come up until the following year. If this is the case the ground where it is sown should be left undisturbed until the following spring, when it will make an early appearance. When it does sprout the same season, the seed germinates in from eight to ten days. The plants do equally well on north, south, east or west walls, but should be kept sufficiently watered on the south or west.
There is but one precaution I have found necessary in growing the Japanese Hop: namely, to give it a rather elastic support, a twine trellis being better than a rigid wire one. The finest Japanese Hop I ever saw grew over a south window on a trellis of chicken netting; the growth was wonderful, and the great leaves were beautifully splashed with white. I was exceedingly proud of the vine, but one day I saw it hanging limp and withered from its trellis, and an investigation revealed the astonishing fact that it had grown so rapidly and attached itself so firmly to the unyielding wire that it had pulled its roots entirely out of the ground, literally committing suicide. Since then I have used a more yielding support.
The Japanese Morning-glory should be started in the house or hotbed and not transplanted into the open ground until the nights and ground are warm.
FURNISH SUPPORT FOR VINES TO RUN ON