34 THE FLORIST. 



these do very well for a year or two, but if after that time you ask 

 about some fair beauty that then pleased you, my friend will, reply, 

 with all the coolness of an -eastern sultan, when you might ask about 

 some fair Circassian (if ever you had a chance of seeing her), " Oh ! 

 I have discarded her ; there are much prettier ones in the market." 

 Alas ! for man's constancy. 



" The lovely toy so fiercely sought, 



Hath lost each charm by being caught." 



A.nd so even those four very beautiful varieties figured in the " Illus- 

 trated Bouquet," will perhaps next year be nowhere. The two figured 

 in the present number of the "Florist" are, however, not of his 

 raising, and belong to a comparatively new section of these popular 

 flowers — but more of them anon, for the word section induces me to 

 say something on the history of the plant as at present cultivated. 



Few flowers owe their present state of excellence so much to what 

 are called " sports " of lusus naturce as the Fuchsia. Some — oh ! I 

 cannot say how many years ago — a plant of one of the old kinds 

 sported in the garden of Mr. Cripps, of Tonbridge Wells, and produced 

 white sepals instead of red ; this became the parent, as Venus victrix, 

 of the many very beautiful white and flesh-coloured varieties Tiow in 

 existence. Again, some of the red varieties began to turn up their 

 sepals a little, and immediately the breeders set to work to get 

 them so thoroughly reflexed, that they should be like a Turn-cap 

 Lily, and in this they have succeeded ; though I am not sure 

 whether the style of the old Fuchsia gracilis is not more elegant. 

 After this, I believe in the hands of the late Mr. Storey, one with 

 a white corolla made its appearance ; this was judiciously seeded, 

 and the plate shows that it is a class which is evidently improving, 

 perhaps destined to make as great a noise as the others. And 

 again, they have appeared with double corollas, and Mr. Wheeler, 

 of Warminster, is evidently trying to introduce to us some that, 

 although monstrosities, shall yet by their beauty persuade us into 

 admiration of them ; thus from the Mexican varieties alone, with- 

 out crossing with fulgens, corymbiflora, serratifolia, or any other 

 of the long-tubed species, we have now four distinct classes, and 

 these, in a great measure owing to the caprices of Nature rather than 

 to the wisdom of hybridisers. What further changes we may see it is 

 impossible to foretell. 



Their growth is not a matter of much difficulty, if space be at your 

 command, and any one who has large conservatories to keep stocked 

 with flowers cannot- do without them, as they succeed the Geraniums, 

 &c, and continue in bloom until the earlier flowering Chrysanthemums 

 are advanced enough. The sod in which they delight is one com- 

 posed of good strong loam, hotbed manure, well rotted, and leaf-mould 

 in the proportion of one-half of the former and one-fourth of the two 

 latter. They should be potted in the spring, and the endeavour should 

 be to keep them constantly growing, and to get them into the form of 

 a pyramid ; they require for these purposes a nice moderate heat of 

 about 50°, and syringing should be resorted to frequently. The 

 tips may be nipped off, to encourage the lower branches to shoot out, 



