A dictionary of modern gardening - University Library

ue 240 FUC
the stalk, is the first to ripen. This is
most perceptible in pears, especially in
the chaumontelle. That end therefore
should be slightly imbedded in the
sand; and thus excluding it from the
light, checks its progress in ripening."
—Principles of Gardening.
FUCHSIA. Twenty species, besides
many varieties. Green-house evergreen
shrubs. Seed and cuttings. Light rich
loam and peat.
Varieties for open borders.—F. Riccartonia;
globosa; gracilis; Thomsonii;
Clintonia; conica ; reflexa; erecta ; and
virgata.
For Pot-culture.—Brockmannii ; Exoniensis
; Colossus ; Attractor ; Enchantress;
Eppsii; Stanwelliana ; Splendida;
Defiance ; Laneii ; Toddiana ; Champion
; Victory; Majestica; Paragon;
Splendens; Fulgens; Robusta ; Youellii
; Chandlerii ; Venus Victrix ; Money-
pennii ; Standishii; Dalstonii ; Curtisii
Eclipse; Rosa Alba; and Spectabilis.
There are about eighty other named
varieties of diii'ering degrees of merit.
Soil.—The best is formed of equal
parts rotted turf, sandy loam, and peat.
Propagation by seed.—Sow directly
it is ripe. Bruise the berries, wash
away their pulp, mix the seed with
sand, sow thinly in pans of the soil just
described, and place in the green-house.
Prick into thimbles when the seedlings
are large enough for handling; place
under a hand-glass, in a stove or hotbed,
for a few days, and then remove
into a green-house. Shift into larger
pots as the roots fill those in which they
are growing.
By cuttirigs.—No plant is more easily
propagated by cuttings at any season o
;
—
the same stock. This is very desirable
where room has to be husbanded. Cut
away to the length of one and a half
inch, half the thickness of the two shoots
to be united, bind them together; sever
through the scion three-fourths of its
thickness, just below the junction, keep
in a warm moist atmosphere, and in
three or four days the junction will be
complete. F. fulgens, F. Cormackii
and other strong growing varieties are
the best stocks." Gard. Chron.
To make specimen Fuchsias. — "In
order to have specimen plants of Fuchsias,"
says Mr. G. Watson, " put in
cuttings in the beginning of August
planting them round the rims of five
inch pots filled with light sandy soil
and well drained ; then place in a cucumber-frame
till sufficiently rooted,
and afterwards remove to a cool and
airy part of the green-house, and let
them remain till February. In that
month, pot off into small sixties, and
when well rooted in these pots, two or
more healthy and well-shaped plants of
each variety put into larger pots according
to their size. While young, care
must be taken that the earth, in which
they are growing, does not become
soured by over watering, or the plants
will soon become sickly. When they
have filled these pots with roots, the
plants must be removed into larger
pots and carefully tied up to sticks in
order to keep the leading shoots upright,
as several of the varieties have a
tendency to grow downward, and it is
only with constant care that these varieties
are kept vigorous.
" About the second week in June,
shift for the last time into pots suffi-
the year than the Fuchsia, but the best ciently large to bloom them in \ ; in pot-
season is from the end of May to the
end of July. Have the cuttings about
three inches long; strip the leaves off
the lower half of their lengths, and plant
in pots, having the surface of the compost
in them to the depth of an inch
covered with sand. Plant in this the
cuttings, so thattheir ends just touch the
compost. Moisten the sand, place the
pots in a green-house under the cover
of hand-glasses. When rooted, pot
singly in sixties.
ting particular attention must be paid
to the drainage, so that the superabundant
water may be easily passed off.
" Plants treated in this manner will
begin to bloom profusely at the latter
end of July, and continue flowering till
the end of Septjjmber ; during this period
the pots should be placed in pans,
so that the plant may be well supplied
with water, and yet not constantly
soaked in it.
" Plants thus treated, with their
I
I
By grafting. — "The early part of shoots pruned
May is suitable for grafting /Mc/isias, or form beautiful
to three or four buds,
objects for turning out
rather for inarching them, as this is de- into the flower garden the following
cidedly the most successful mode of summer; but if very large specimens
are required, their pot room must be
combining more than one variety upon ,
;