12 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



customed to it. Pulque is retailed in Mexico in open sheds 

 called pulqerias, which serve also for dancing rooms. When 

 mixed with water and sugar, and allowed to ferment for a few 

 hours, it forms a beverage called tepache. A kind of spirit is 

 also prepared from it. Native Mexicans are seen in the picture 

 gathering this juice into skins of animals. 



T 



THE CALIFORNIA FUCHSIA 



By S. L. Watkins. 



HE California Fuchsia (Zausclineria Calif ornica) is truly 

 a magnificent perennial worthy of being extensively cul- 

 tivated. It will succeed almost anywhere in the United 

 States without special protection. In its native home in the 

 Sierra Nevada mountains of California it inhabits the bor- 

 ders of mountain streams, and I have found it along the 

 borders of streams where in winter the plant would be 

 frozen solid for six weeks at a time. It grows in rocky 

 crevices and other inaccessible places, and is not particular 

 as to soil. We have grown it in very dry localities and 

 found it to stand a great amount of drouth. 



The plant attains a height of nearly two feet and forms 

 a dense spreading clump. The leaves are willow-shaped 

 and of a brilliant silver green. It blooms luxuriantly dur- 

 ing September, October and part of November. The blos- 

 soms are about an inch in length, lustrous fire-red in color 

 and are extremely beautiful. It makes an excellent border 

 plant and as a cut flower is unrivalled. It is easily propa- 

 gated by cuttlings and seeds. A nursery company in Massa- 

 chusetts which deals largely in hardy herbaceous peren- 



