MR. FORTUNE'S ACCOUNT OF WEIGELA ROSE.\. 189 



ground, and in like manner covered with earth, the young pear 

 being left out. There is now a fair prospect of an abundant 

 supply of young trees, many of which, I have reason to think, 

 will bear the second or third year from the time they are 

 planted out. The small piece of ground in which I am trying 

 this plan of nursery is a perfect thicket of young trees. It is 

 evident that this will be a permanent mode of procuring them, 

 as there will be a continued supply of stocks. 



XXVIII. — A further Account of Weigela Rosea. By Mr. For- 

 tune and the Vice-Secretary. With a coloured plate. 



When I first discovered this beautiful plant* it was growing 

 in a Mandarin's garden on the Island of Chusan, and literally 

 loaded with its fine rose-coloured flowers, which hung in grace- 

 ful bunches from the axils of the leaves and the ends of the 

 branches. The g-arden, which was an excellent specimen of the 

 peculiar style so much admired by the Chinese in the north, 

 was often visited by the officers of the regiments who were quar- 

 tered at Tinghae, and was generally called the Grotto, on ac- 

 count of the pretty rock-work with which it was ornamented. 

 Every one saw and admired the beautiful Weigela, which was 

 also a great favourite with the old gentleman to whom the place 

 belonged. I immediately marked it as one of the finest plants 

 of Northern China, and determined to send plants of it home in 

 every ship until I should hear of its safe arrival. 



All the gardens of the Mandarins in the north of China are 

 small, and as there is only room for a few plants, these are 

 always of the most select and handsome description. Amongst 

 my collections are several other plants which are common in 

 these gardens, all of which are of great beauty and interest. 

 Azaleas, Roses, Moutans, Glycine sinensis alba. Viburnums 

 (more handsome than our common Gueldres rose), and various 

 other free-flowering shrubs, make these gardens extremely gay, 

 particularly during the spring and early summer months. 



Weigela rosea is unknown in the southern provinces of China, 

 and therefore I have every reason to suppose that it will prove 

 hardy, or nearly so, in England ; but, if not, it will make a 

 first-rate greenhouse plant, and will take its place by the side of 

 the beautiful Azaleas and Camellias of its own country, I 

 never met with it in a wild state on the Chinese hills, and it is 

 therefore just possible that it may have been originally intro- 

 duced to China from Japan : this, however, is only conjecture. 



* See page 65. 



