164 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



enormously large pots, such as we occasionally see at provincial 

 exhibitions. An able judge with whom I had the honour of acting 

 at a show where specimens of this sort were presented, said to me, 

 " As we cannot see the plants, we ought to judge the pots; only, 

 unfortunately, they are too dirty to be handled." 



FUCHSIAS FOR HOME DECORATION AND EXHIBITION. 



BY J. F. M'ELROY, 

 Head Gardener at Moray Lodge, Campden Hill. 



[HE Euchsia has been assigned to me as a subject for the 

 Floral World because of my success with it as an 

 exhibitor years ago. I am much afraid I cannot say 

 anything new on the subject ; but I can point to two 

 admirable papers on the cultivation of this favourite 

 that have already appeared in this work. In the Number for 

 February, 18G6, Mr. Cannell gave us his experience on the subject ; 

 and in the Number for June, 1S67, Mr. Wyness, Her Majesty's 

 Head Gardener at Buckingham Palace, treated upon it. After such 

 great guns have been fired, I am diffident ; but I will obey my in- 

 structions, and proceed to state briefly what occurs to me as most 

 likely to be profitable to our readers. 



First, as to fuchsias out of doors. Go where you will, whether 

 it be in public or private gardens, you seldom see a bed of them, 

 unless it be the old hardy variety (Gracilis), planted in some corner 

 of the garden where they are seldom noticed by the visitors. 

 Surely, among the many improvements that are being adopted every 

 year in our style of bedding, could not mounds, banks, or some 

 similar contrivance, be suggested, where their flowers could be seen 

 to perfection ? Why not employ them more extensively for deco- 

 rating vases that are fixed along our terrace gardens or elsewhere ? 

 If planted round their edges, so that the branches droop over, the 

 effect must be pleasing, as well as interesting ; but then it may be 

 said that we have so few varieties that would be suitable in every 

 way for that purpose — that is, possessing the properties that would 

 enable them to withstand wind and weather. I do not think the 

 various sorts in cultivation have been sufficiently tested in that 

 direction, so that gardeners can give a candid opinion on their 

 relative merits lor that adaptation. It would be advisable if the 

 raisers of new varieties for sale would turn their attention to the 

 importance of their use for the system now recommended. I myself 

 have grown for the purpose, for several years past, a variety knowu 

 as Eppsii. It is a self-coloured flower (red), with stout sepals and 

 petals, and a strong grower ; short-jointed, of bushy habit, and a 

 very profuse bloomer. I remember, about twelve years ago, a very 

 large bed of this variety being grown in the garden adjoining where 

 I am employed. Their leading shoots were kept neatly tied to 

 sticks, and although they were planted at a distance of eighteen 



