THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 41 



by no means allow the top of the plant to outgrow the bottom, which 

 can easily be prevented by the simple process of taking out the 

 centre of each shoot with a sharp-pointed knife. As the pots fill 

 with roots, so the plants must be shitted into larger ones. Be very 

 particular that they never become pot-bound, as that will be sure to 

 throw them into blooming. They must receive their last shift at least 

 three months before they are required to be in bloom, and the stop- 

 ping discontinued nine weeks before they are required for exhibition. 



Be very careful to keep a regular temperature, for no plant is 

 more liable to injury from sudden changes than the fuchsia. Let 

 the temperature range, after the middle of March, five degrees 

 higher, and as the season advances, five degrees more, with plenty 

 of moisture in the house ; always syringe twice a day, and in hot 

 weather very frequently, and keep plenty of water on the floors and 

 staging of the house when the ventilators are open. Give all the 

 air possible in fine weather. As soon as the sun begins to give much 

 heat, see that the blinds are in good order, for they are most exten- 

 sively used in growing fuchsias whenever the sun shines hot ; but 

 the very minute the sun is off" the plants let the blinds be drawn up, 

 for they require all the liglit possible. 



Toung plants, treated the first season as I have described, will 

 make fine exhibition plants the second. Some sorts will do even the 

 third, but very seldom do they make creditable specimens after the 

 second season. 



Now we will suppose that it wants about thirteen weeks to the 

 show day, and we will give the plants their last shift into twelve-inch 

 pots. The soil is in good condition, the pots clean and well-drained, 

 with broken pots about an inch thick, and a layer of moss over them; 

 add about an inch of soil pressed down rather firmly, and all is 

 ready for the plants to be turned into the blooraing pots. Loop the 

 branches up on one side, to prevent breaking them ; be sure the ball 

 of the plant is thoroughly moist ; take all the drainage from the 

 bottom of the plant, and place it carefully into the new pot, fill 

 up with sod all round, without injuring the roots. Keep the house 

 moist and closed for a few days, and the sun from them ; be sure 

 not to over-water them till they get hold of the new soil ; in about 

 three weeks they will be growing fast. Commence stopping, for the 

 last, by taking a few points out each day for a week. 



Now prepare the liquid manure tub. Gret some horse droppings 

 fresh from the stable — say about half a bushel to a barrel of rain 

 water — mixed well together with half a peck of soot. When clear, 

 let each plant have a small quantity, say about a pint, every three 

 days, to be increased every week. Be sure not to give it too strong, 

 if so it will take all the flowers ofl^. Apply it in the after part of 

 the day, with the regular water. 



Give the plants every encouragement to grow. Eegulate all the 

 branches that may require it; let tiie plant have a good strong stake 

 in the centre, and the shoots well fastened to it. The bloom-buds 

 will soon begin to appear ; pick ofl" all the forward ones, till they 

 appear regular all over the plant. 



On the afternoon before the show, get plenty of small stakes 



