Evening star., 1940-05-04

reached the branches of tree a sur
wall support is needed at all times,
to wrap about.
Wistarias are not partial as to
soils. although they like best fair
ly rich one that is not too dry. Their
strong roots can penetrate our heavy
clays and provide us with vines Civ
ing ample blooms as readily as on
the more friable loans.
Forcing Early
Bloom.
Some gardeners object to plant
ing wistarias because of the Oft
repeated ideas that they will not
bloom for seven years (or some such
lengthy period. Some seedlings are
slow to come into flower. but most
of the plants to be obtained from
nurseries are grown from Towering
wood and bloom at reasonably
early age Where one does choose
to grow them from seed. or has a
plant that stubbornly refuses to
flower, it may be given a shock,
which in most cases produces bloom
the following year. Cutting few
of the roots, severe pruning. or ring
ing few of the larger branches are
the common methods used in giving
them this shock.
Rigorous pruning is desirable al
all times to insure free blooming
Midsummer shortening of the long
shoots seems to stimulate the for
nation of flower buds. This is often
illustrated by the crops of flowers
borne on vines that are pruned to
keep them within bounds. or on
standard trained shrub which is
freely pruned to give it shape.
Inasmuch as the wistaria has only
a few roots. and they are long. it
is we'll to buy young plants, or pot
grown specimens. Grated plants or
rooted-cuttings insure desirable COL
or forms
Wisterias may be had in several
colors ranging from pure white
through pale lavender. deep lavender
to violet blue The white wisterias
show to good advantage against a
green background. The length of
the flower clusters vary greatly
those OF the Japanese species CW
floribunda) being much longer than
those of the Chinese varieties (W
sinensis).
The wistarias are seldom troubled
by insect pests or diseases, but where
some chewing insect does work upon
them they may be sprayed with an
arsenical poison. Their culture is
of the simplest, in fact, very few
gardeners give them any care
Occasionally they insist on throwing
out snake-like shoots at the surface
of the ground which seem to want
to spread over the garden. and these
are usually removed as soon as
noticed.
Adding Dogwoods
To Picture.
With the wistaria in the back
ground little more need be said
about planting group of dogwood
trees in front of it. The native dog
wood (Cornus f1orida) is so we'll
adapted to local conditions that we
all take it for granted that it is
going to live and flower. The Kousa
dogwood &C. kousa) is equally useful
although its Towering season is later
than that of our native shrub. There
are few simple precautions which
are worth observing in planting this
lovely, tall shrub or low-growing tree.
Dogwoods may be transplanted in
the fall. but generally speaking they
stand moving best in the spring.
They should be moved with as little
shock as possible since when in a
weakened condition they are likely
to be attacked by the borer-their
one serious enemy. 1t may be that
by carefully wrapping the trunks of
newly transplanted dogwood trees
the borer may be excluded; at any
rate, the wrappings will reduce loss
Of moisture and hasten recovery.
The care of the dogwood is almost
as simple as that of the wisteria,
Dogwood are shallow rooted and
resent cultivation or root dis
turbance. a mulch of decayed leaves
or peat moss in the spring and fall
is all the care needed. The removal
of dead twigs and the cutting of of
straggly branches to keep them
shapely constitute the necessary
pruning. This is done in the late
spring after Towering and before
the formation of the new flower
buds takes place in the late summer
The dogwood and wistaria COM
bination is hardly feasible unless one
has a wall or pergola for the vine.
However, if one wishes to grow the
wisteria in standard or tree form,
taller than is usually done. the two