65 



FUCHSIAS, 



EMPEROR NAPOLEON (Banks), AND VENUS DE MEDICI (Banks). 

 (Plate 111). 



E. Banks, Esq., of Sliolden Lodge, near Deal, has produced more 

 really good Fuchsias than any other raiser. His Glory, Queen 

 of Hanover, Elegans, Vanguard, Autocrat, and many others, even 

 much older varieties, are universally grown. The late Mr. Story 

 has done a great deal in the way of procuring NOVELTIES in 

 Fuchsias, but he aimed chiefly at producing new characters, as in 

 the white and striped corolla'd varieties. Mr. Banks sought more 

 to obtain varieties excelling in form and of robust short-jointed 

 habit, by means of carefully effected crosses. We need only point 

 to Queen of Hanover for perfection in habit, and we much question 

 if it is not still the finest white Fuchsia yet sent out. There 

 never was a finer batch of Fuchsias let out than those we sent 

 out in the spring of 1854, of Mr. Banks's raising. There was 

 Queen of Hanover, Clio, and Charmer, all light sorts ; and 

 Elegans, the gem of the dark ones still when well grown ; Autocrat, 

 with its large bold dark flowers of a distinct character ; Vanguard, 

 which wants a well reflexed sepal to make it perfect, and should 

 be the parent of many for habit ; and Omega, with its exquisite 

 slate blue corolla. Since then, Banks's Prince Albert (figured in 

 the Florist for February, 185,5), a good dark variety; and 

 Climax (Banks), a good habited kind, but wanting substance 

 in the sepals. Others of Mr. Banks' raising reached us last year, 

 but we failed in blooming them. The two varieties we now figure 

 will be found acquisitions : Emperor Kapoleon is a very fine dark 

 variety, and Venus de Medici highly deserves a place in every 

 collection. Other new Fuchsias are to be sent out this season, of 

 which we are unable to speak, none of them, with one exception 

 only, having been brought under our notice. The exception is 

 Wonderful, one of Mr. Banks's seedlings we believe, and it is 

 certainly a wonderfully large and coarse flower, with not a good 

 quality to recommend it beyond size. We, however, saw but two 

 blooms of it, and have not seen the plant. 



Believing that a few practical hints on the culture of Fuchsias 

 would be acceptable to our readers, if from a person who was 

 really a grower, we applied to Mr. J. Miles, of Hurstpierpoint, 

 Brighton, who showed some well grown specimens at Brighton in 

 September last, and he has furnished us with the following 

 remarks : — 



This useful genus now contains an immense number of 

 varieties, many of which are worthy of being classed with our 



NEW SERIES, VOL. VI., NO. LXIII. F 



