One feature in the management of the climbers for the conservatory deserves particular notice. The orchidaceous house is at the back of the conservatory. The Combretum purpureum, one of the very finest of stove climbers, and others, are planted out in the borders of the orchidaceous house, and in the summer time their shoots are introduced into the conservatory through holes in the top of the back wall, and trained over the rafters, where they flower all the summer, and are pruned close and taken back into the orchidaceous house for the winter. Mr. Herbert wrote to Mr. Beaton lately, to say that he adopted this system at Spofforth with complete success, and that he kept the top of the Combretum purpureum in the conservatory last winter, and, though very near the glass, it was not in the least hurt by the frost. Beaumontia grandiflora, treated in this way at Kingsbury, looks now as well as if it were in the hottest stove; and Mr. Beaton thinks this long rest may induce it to flower next summer. It is well known to be one of the most difficult plants to flower. If this experiment does not succeed, Mr. Beaton intends to take it back to the stove for the growing season the following summer, and, after making its growth, he will introduce it again to the conservatory to winter. If this should fail, he will cut it away altogether. Mr. Beaton thinks all the stove passion-flowers might be flowered in the conservatory or green-house on the same principle; but the beautiful P. kermesina, for this purpose, and indeed for all purposes, ought to be inarched on some of the stronger-growing kinds. It would even be worth while to inarch it on any hardy passionflower already in the conservatory, the head being introduced into the stove for the winter. A plant of this species grafted in one of the stoves on the P. alata covers many square yards, and has not been without blossoms for the last eighteen months; and in summer this plant is covered with hundreds of blooms at a time. Mr. Beaton thinks Bignonia venusta would do admirably treated in this manner; and regrets that this, and such plants as Allamanda cathartica, the petreas, Combretum purpureum, and such like old substantial good climbers, should be so much neglected, to make room for others which have only novelty to recommend them. He also regrets the present rage for collections, when selections would answer all the purposes of private collectors so much better. But to return to climbers: the half-hardy, or conservatory, climbers are here treated on the same principle as the stove ones. These are planted out, as all climbers ought to be, in the front border of the conservatory; and, about the end of May, are taken outside through a pane of glass in the bottom of the roof-sashes, and trained outside for four or five months, to make room for the introduction of the stove climbers. They are close pruned in October or November, and taken back to the conservatory for wintering. Tacsonia pinnatistipula, one of the very best conservatory climbers, treated in this manner, covers a great space in a short time, flowers abundantly in the open air from July till Christmas, and stands ten degrees of frost without any injury. Mr. Beaton calls this plant one of Sweet's fanciful genera, which, he says, are only genera by name, not by nature. If Mr. Beaton were compelled to grow only three kinds of conservatory climbers, the Tacsonia would be the first he would choose; and yet it is hardly to be seen anywhere.
