168 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



called. We sometimes admire a well- 

 bloomed plant of the latter, and forget, or 

 never knew, that it never flowered before. 

 In Jul\', 1852, I assisted in placing upon 

 the t.ible, at Chiswick Flower Show, a 

 specimen of Kalosanthes coecinea, mea- 

 suring twelve feet in circumference, the 

 form a parachute, the convex top was one 

 mnsi of lovely scarlet bloom, it was grown 

 by gentlemen known far and wide as first- 

 rate plant growers (Messrs. Fraser, nui"- 

 serymen), but this plant had never flowered 

 before. Nearly four yeai-s of care had been 

 bestowed upon it, and if one season's bloom- 

 ing will repay near four years of atten- 

 tion in a Kalosanthes, it will in a Nerium 

 oleander ; but this is by no means essential, 

 the oleander will flower every year, if pro- 

 perly treated. After flowering, it should 

 be allowed to get moderately dry, then cut 

 down to stout wood, put iuto a warm green- 

 house, gradually moistened, and allowed 

 to make three or four joints before winter. 

 Keep moderately watered, but see that the 



drainage is perfect. As soon as it begins 

 to start again in the spring, give some 

 fresh soil, either by shifting into larger 

 pots, or by surfacing ; when ia full growth 

 give liquid manure, or mulch with rotted 

 dung. As soon as the flower-scapes ap- 

 pear, three shoots will appear at the base 

 of each ; these should he carefully picked 

 off while very young. The soil I use is 

 composed of two parts loam, one peat, one 

 leaf-mould and very rotten dung, the whole 

 well sanded. The worst pest the oleander 

 is subject to is the wliite scale. Now, every 

 good gardener knows that this is the re- 

 sult, not the cause, of ill health ; and ill 

 health is caused by starvation, stagnation, 

 or suflTocation. Fjr the first, good soil and 

 root room : for the second, good drainage ; 

 for the third, ventilation. Let Nerium 

 ol(;auder have these, and it will repay the 

 cultivator as well as any plant under the 

 sun. F. Chitty. 



Stamford Hdl 



THE CTJLTUEE OF THE EUCHSIA. 



In submitting the following remarks on 

 the culture of the Fuchsia, the result of 

 many years' experience and observation, I 

 ■will first speak of the varieties, which may 

 be divided into four classes: first, dark; 

 second, light; third, ichite corollald; and 

 fourthly, fancy varietiet. Of course the 

 floral market can boast of numerous va- 

 rieties belonging to each class, numbers 

 of which, except for noveltj-, are unworthy 

 of being cultivated ; therefore, it is for the 

 cultivator to know which are most suitable 

 for the pttrpose he requires them; because 

 some are dwarf, others tall and straggling 

 in their habits ; again, some are slender 

 and graceful, others will flower prema- 

 turely without making the slightest dis- 

 position to grow. Now, we will consider 

 •what are the requisite qualities of a good 

 fuchsia. First, a free growing, graceful 

 habit, not rumpant in its growth, but im- 

 parting in form as it grows that of a pyra- 

 mid ; the lower branches becoming widened 

 in circumference as tlie upper extends; tlie 

 second, fine healthy foliage ; third, abun- 

 dance of bloom ; last, but not least, quality 

 of the flower. Never banish one from 

 your collection that pertains to the above 

 perfection until you are satisfied its suc- 

 cessor is a decided improvement. 



I shall simply confine myself to the 

 culture of the plant, supposing you grow 



it for all purposes, exhibition and home 

 decoration. If you propagate your own 

 plants you vcould do so early in the spring, 

 or in the month of July; I prefer the latter 

 month if I caimot obtain cuttings till late 

 in the spring, because those struck in July 

 will not generally flower the same season, 

 but continue to grow fiist during the humid 

 months of the autumn, and if convenience 

 favours you, you can maintain their growth 

 till their flowering season; whereas those 

 propagated in the spring flower before the 

 plants have had time to shape themselves, 

 or acquire sufficient strength to form a 

 good specimen for the future. In striking 

 them use a little silver-sand, say about 

 half an inch on the surface of the pot, cover 

 the cuttings with a bell-glass, as that will 

 hasten their rooting, take care to wipe the 

 glass dry every morning. After they have 

 rooted, pot them into three-inch pots. 

 Place them on a little bottom-heat if you 

 have it; if not, cover them with a hand- 

 glass. Continue to shift from one size to 

 a larger one, till you have gained your 

 desired object, viz., that of a good-formed 

 plant, suitable for the structure you grow 

 it in, or the purpose you require it lor. 

 Now, during all these various stages of 

 growth we will suppose you have carefully 

 attended to the stopping or pinching off the 

 shoots, with the view of inducing a bushy 



