92 MISCELLANY OF NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



become of a milk-and-water colour, having a most delicate hue, then remove 

 them into a shady part of a greenhouse, or sitting-room, and in contrast with the 

 other plants which were kept fully exposed in the greenhouse to the full sun 

 and light, and which of course bloom the natural colour of a rich blue, they 

 produce a very pleasing contrast. The pure white variety is equally grown to 

 beautiful specimens. The three together are well deserving attention ; procured 

 very cheap, cultivated easily, (see articles in Cabinet), and blooming its fragrant 

 flowers for a long season, alike recommend a trial wherever practicable. 



Flora. 



On Fuchsias. — In compliance with the request of several of your corre- 

 spondents, who desire a few practical hints on the management of this beautiful 

 tribe of summer flowers, I beg to offer the following remarks, which I consider 

 will be suitable to the admirers of this flower, whether their object be public 

 competition or the mere decoration of the greenhouse and flower garden. 



Presuming that the old plants are still in a dormant state, the first thing to 

 be done with them will be to shorten the side shoots a little, and to place them 

 in a temperature of from 50° to 60°, in order to induce them to make young 

 shoots, from which a stock of plants may be obtained. In selecting the cuttings 

 choose those of a short robust habit — such as generally protrude from the old 

 stem ; insert them in light sandy soil, and place the pot in a shady corner of a 

 cucumber frame. In a fortnight the cuttings will be sufficiently rooted to pot 

 off', using a compost consisting of equal parts of turfy loam, peat, and leaf- 

 mould, with a liberal sprinkling of sand and a little charcoal. Return them to 

 the frame, but as soon as they are established in the fresh soil remove them to 

 a more airy situation, with a moist atmosphere of from 50° to 65°, and endeavour 

 to keep them in a vigorous growing state, for so sure as they receive a check 

 when young so certain is it that they will never make first-rate specimens. When 

 a sufficient supply of cuttings has been obtained the old plants may be cut 

 down to within a few inches of the pot, and if they are watered occasionally with 

 a little clear weak manure-water they will throw up strong shoots from the bottom . 

 As soon as these shoots are three or four inches in length take the plants to the 

 potting shed, and having prepared some of the before-mentioned compost, shake 

 them all out, reduce the roots, and repot into the smallest sized pots that the 

 roots can be conveniently got into. At the same time, the number of shoots 

 may be reduced to four, six, or eight, according to the specimen it is desired to 

 produce, as a strong growing variety, with six, eight, or more shoots, will make 

 a specimen four feet in height and six feet in diameter, and when fully grown 

 will require an 18-inch pot. After this potting, the plants should receive the 

 assistance of a little bottom heat, and should be kept in a close] moist 1 atmo- 

 sphere, with shade in bright weather, until thev are established in their new 

 pots, which will be in about a fortnight from the time of potting. 



We will now suppose it to be the middle of February, at which time the young 

 plants should be well established in 3 or 5-inch pots, and the old ones ready to 

 receive their second shift. At this time the plants should be stout, thrifty 

 fellows, with clean bright transparent stems and foliage, and young lively roots 

 protruding all over the surface of the soil: and if in this slate, they may, by 

 proper treatment, be grown to any size. A good single-stem specimen of Exou- 

 iensis, when well grown, should be six feet in height, with branches drooping in 

 regular succession from the pot upwards, and it should be a perfect mass of 

 foliage and flowers; and other kinds, according to their habit of growth, ought 

 to be equally perfect. To return, however, to the plants, we must now prepare 

 for the second shift, and for this purpose a compost consisting of two parts 

 turfy loam, one part sandy peat, one part half-decomposed leaf-mould, with a 

 handful of small charcoal, and a liberal supply of coarse sand, must be thrown 

 together and thoroughly incorporated, taking care to break it as little as pos- 

 sible. At each subsequent shifting of the plants, excepting the last, the same 

 compost must be used, but at the final potting it will be as well to substitute 

 equal portions of strong loam, and three-years-old cow dung, for the one part of 

 peat before used ; as this will make the compost of a more adhesive character, 

 thy plants will consequently not require so much water during the hut weather. 



