IRISH GARDEN'ING 



99 



Fuchsias. 



U\ \\ . II. tiKM Nl, I ii-iinilaj^'i' (.lUi'tlfll^, nuruli'uni. 



TII1'!S1% tlelii;litlul suhjccls arc icccivin};' 

 more altenlioii with both iiniatours ami 

 professional gardeners every year. Their 

 iiscliihiess botli in the ii^reenhouse ant! outside 

 g'ardcniny is becoming; more apparent, tliey 

 adapt themselves to so niaiiy no\cl purposes. 

 Nothint,'- is more pleasinjj than to see plants 

 trained up the ratters of the greenhouse, with 

 their qu;iint bells hantfiny^ in clusters ; or, as 

 we often see them, in large beds as dot plants 

 associated with olher suitable subjects. Plants 

 about four feel high, with a nice head, make a 

 pleasing combination with the heliotrope and 

 Streptosolen trained in a similar manner, with 

 a suitable ground-work of other bedding plants. 

 As pot plants they claim for themselves liie 

 honour of being one of the oldest favourites for 

 the conservatory, also the exhibitor. A few 

 years back one could often see magnificent 

 specimens, seven feet high, liberally covered 

 with their delicate waxy flowers. Good shapely 

 plants in pots from live to eight inches are ex- 

 tremely useful for the greenhouse ; they will 

 remain in bloom for three or four months. 



The culture is very simple. Cuttings can be 

 taken in the month of August and inserted in 

 pots or boxes in a mixture of nice light, sandy 

 soil, with leaf-mould added, and should receive 

 a good watering with the line rose-can before 

 being placed in the cold frame, which should 

 be kept closed till root action takes place^ 

 usually taking from two to three weeks. When 

 the little plants have made a few roots they 

 should be carefully potted off in 3-inch pots, 

 using a similar compost as before. Place 

 them well back in the frame, and again water 

 well. Keep close for a few days till they have 

 obtained possession of the new soil, give a little 

 air bv degrees, gradually harden till the plants 

 can be removed to the greenhouse shelf, where, 

 with a little warmth, they will keep growing 

 slowly through the winter. In the month of 

 F"ebruary potting into larger size pots will be 

 necessary, also regular pinching of shoots to 

 form nice bushy specimens for the conservatory 

 the following summer. 



If standards, or dot plants as they are usually 

 termed, are necessary, from the commencement 

 keep all side growths pinched out, place a neat 

 stake to the plants, and encourage them to grow 

 to the desired height, then pinch the centre out 



to form a nice head. When this has been 

 achieved gradually harden ofl before they go to 

 their final tjuarters outside. 



Fuchsias delight in a good, rough, porous 

 soil, consisting of loam, leaf-mould and sand, 

 with a little dried cow manure broken up fine 

 mixed through it. During the growing season 

 they should never be allowed to become dry 

 enough to cause the foliage to droop. During 

 the flowering period the plants will be greatly 

 benefited by weekly applications of diluted 

 farm -yard manure water. When the plants 

 have flnished blooming in the conservatory they 

 can be stored away in a frost-proof cellar till 

 spring, when they should be brought into the 

 greenhouse and receive a good hard pruning, 

 cutting all the previous summer's growth back 

 to a lew buds ; repot if necessary, and grow on. 

 With regard to varieties, there are ample to 

 select from. The single variety holds place of 

 honour in most departments. A few free-flower- 

 ing varieties are Elegance, Royal Purple, Wave 

 of Life, Rose of Castile, Mrs. Marshall, and Prin- 

 cess May. .\ word of praise must be given to 

 the double varieties, as they are very attractive. 

 .\s pot plants their massive corolla adds con- 

 siderably to their beauty. Avalanche, Mar\el. 

 lous. Phenomenal, Ballet Girl, and Miss Lucy 

 I'innis are among the most showy varieties. 



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El;eoc.vki'us cv.^nel's. 



Thk good qualities of tHis distinctly beautiful green- 

 house shrub have received due recognition, and the 

 Royal Horticultural Society have awarded Messrs. J. 

 Veilch a first-class certificate for some well-flowered 

 e,\amples. The plants exhibited were about two feet 

 high, freely branched and profusely flowered. The 

 flowers are produced in I.ily-oflhe-\'alley kind of 

 sprays, with deeply-frinyed. hanging white bells. The 

 specific name of this shrub is derived from the handsome 

 blue, berry-like fruit which usually is freely borne in 

 autumn. This shrub has long been grown in botanic 

 gardens, but deserves far more extended culture as a 

 really good greenhouse shrub. It was introduced as 

 long ago as 1803. and is a native of .\ustralia. 



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I'liiiRMiL.M lenax is at proseni in wonderful bloom in 

 many gardens in Co. Dublin. The flower shoots showed 

 this year in beginning of iMay in great profusion, one 

 small plant having twelve strong shoots, each about 

 three feet long, on the 6ih May. 



In the rock garden, Mount Henry, Dalkey, there 

 was to be seen a small plant of Saxifraga cochlearis 

 major with twenty-nine separate flower shoots. This 

 plant has always bloomed well, but nothing like so 

 finely as this season. — R. McM. S. 



