76 



THE ELORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



winter, and we keep only such as are 

 worth house-room. 



Abundo conspicua. — I had a 

 plant of this noble grass from Mr. 

 Stafford, of Hyde, near Manchester, 

 a year ago. It grew last season to 

 very stately dimensions, forming a 

 grand tuft of somewhat the same 

 character as the pampas grass, but 

 more robust and rigid. It is novr, 

 after much hard weather, quite green 

 and fresh. Those who lore orna- 

 mental grasses should at once pro- 

 cure Arundo conspicua. 



Double Pbimulas. — Compared 

 with these, there is no single primula 

 worth growing. In November last, 

 I made a call at Mr. Fraser's Lea 

 Bridge Nurseries, and saw a house- 

 full of double primulas in full bloom. 

 Some were specimens in 8 and 10-inch 

 pots, and formed huge tufts of leaves 

 and flowers of suca exquisite beauty, 

 it would be absurd to attempt to de- 

 scribe them. Tae leaves spread out 

 over the rim of the pot, and form a 

 rich base, above which spring large 

 trusses of white, blush, and rose- 



coloured flowers, each separate flower 

 a perfect rosette. Of all delicate 

 winter and spring blooming plants, 

 there can be nothing to surpass the 

 new double primulas. But let no one 

 despise the single ones ; they are 

 charming things, and when in bloom 

 make capital window plants. 



Japanese Honeysuckle. — The 

 lovely Lonicera brachypoda aureo- 

 reticulata (" What's in a name?") is as 

 hardy as any plant in our gardens. 

 It will grow in any soil, and in any 

 position, and the variegation never 

 varies. I have a fine plant on the 

 summit of my bastion, where it has 

 been several times bard frozen of late, 

 but is now pushing its new shoots 

 with vigour. When grown in a pot 

 under glass, and trained to a huge 

 sugar-loaf outline, it is a very hand- 

 some plant for decorating. It will be 

 observed (by those who do observe) 

 that the young leaves in spring are at 

 first of the same shape as oak-leaves. 

 They afterwards change to a simple 

 ovate form. 



EXHIBITION FUCHSIAS. 



Dueing the years 1861 and 1862, I 

 gave at some length in these pages 

 particulars of comparisons of various 

 fuchsias, as adapted for bedding, 

 exhibition, and other purposes. 

 Readers in want of general informa- 

 tion on fuchsias will find, on referring 

 to the volume for 1861, much to in- 

 terest them, especially as to the cha- 

 racters and habits of the specific and 

 hybrid forms of fuchsias that repre- 

 sent large sections of the family. It 

 is because those articles dealt with 

 all general questions that the present 

 is confined to the particular subject 

 of growing exhibition varieties. 



Fuchsias may be baised peom: 

 Seed with the greatest ease ; and this 

 is the method to be followed by those 

 who hope to raise new and useful 

 varieties. When it is desired merely 

 to increase the number of certain 

 kinds, seed should never be collected, 

 the plants should be propagated from 

 cuttings only ; and the best season 



for such work is during February, 

 March, and April. In saying " seed 

 should never be collected," a distinct 

 object is intended, and it is to save 

 the inexperienced amateur from dis- 

 appointment. In raising seedling 

 fuchsias, not more than one per cent, 

 of their number can be expected to 

 prove better than varieties we already 

 possess. Therefore hundreds of plants 

 must be bloomed to obtain a few 

 worth keeping ; and as there are not 

 many persons who can devote the 

 space and time to the culture of seed- 

 lings on a large scale, it is right that 

 a warning should be set up here, so 

 that only those who are prepared to 

 incur serious labour may involve 

 themselves in the trouble of raising 

 seedling fuchsias. But, for the ama- 

 teur bent on conquering difficulties, 

 the fuchsia is an interesting subject. 



There is no flower so easy to 

 hybridize, because either stamens or 

 stigmas can be removed at will with 



