238 THE FLORIST. 



THE NEW FUCHSIAS OF 1854. 



Birmingham has hitherto been justly celebrated for the introduction of 

 new Fuchsias of first-rate quality, but I regret that this season three 

 has been a sad departure from so wholesome a rule, and that their three 

 new ones, Duke of Wellington, Trentham, and Fanny Webb, do not 

 merit a position side by side \\ath Queen of Hanover, Telegraph, Van- 

 guard, and other new ones. The public was led to expect a Fuchsia of 

 hrst class excellence in the Duke of Wellington, but with me as well 

 as with others where I have seen it, it is coarse and deficient in 

 colour — the sepals are dull in colour but well reflexed, tube rough 

 and fluted, and corolla not deep enough in colour, even in the young 

 state ; it is however a free bloomer and of good habit. I cannot class this 

 as by any means a first-rate Fuchsia. Trentham is a coarse monstro- 

 sity, tube and sepals dull scarlet, coarse, and does not reflex. Corolla 

 pale blue purple, \vith scarlet vein, extending from the base of each 

 di\asion of the corolla, which in almost every flower is a malformation. 

 The plant is long jointed and of bad habit. Fanny Webb has a pinkish 

 white tube and sepals, with a green tip and rose coloured corolla, 

 flower small and not attractive. I shall not gi*ow either of these 

 three varieties again, as the two latter are really worthless ; and the 

 Duke, although so free a bloomer, is so deficient in colour and quality 

 that I shall reject it. Clio is a large, bold, free -flowering variety, in the 

 way of England's Glory, with each flower large and well proportioned, 

 and reflexing, although not so gracefully as some other varieties. It 

 has waxy light tube and sepals, with a bright scarlet corolla, and being 

 a dense bloomer, of good habit, with large flowers, it will please all. 

 The gem of the season, however, is Queen of Hanover, which in my 

 opinion has every good point a Fuchsia should possess. The tube is 

 well formed, pure white, with gracefully reflexed sepals of the same 

 colour — the corolla is bright scarlet, close and well formed. In habit 

 it resembles Pearl of England, and is a very free bloomer. Standish's 

 Perfection has a large light waxy tube with pale pink corolla, the 

 sepals having too much pink colour in them, and do not reflex well. It 

 is a very free blooming variety, but does not please me, and I think 

 will disappoint many. Elegans is a gem, having a profusion of flower, 

 with but moderate foliage, and is of excellent habit. The flower is of 

 medium size, tube and sepals glossy scarlet, the latter reflexing most 

 gracefully to the top of the tube, corolla exceedingly well closed and of 

 a dense blue purple colour. This is a great improvement on King 

 Charming. Monarch has not bloomed yet, so that I cannot remark on 

 it. Vanguard is a short-jointed variety, of excellent habit, tube short, 

 of a glossy scarlet colour, sepals broad and of the same colour, and 

 reflexing, although not gracefully ; corolla rich purple, well closed, but 

 a little stained with scarlet close to the sepals ; notwithstanding, it is a 

 first class variety. Autocrat is well named, as it is a bcld assuming 

 variety with exceedingly large flowers, which however are more striking 

 than handsome. The tube is of medium length, thin, and very smooth — 

 sepals long, stout, smooth on the outer side and rough inside, reflexing 



