74 THE FLORAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



observed, which must be deferred to a future time. But when you 

 compete with others, or are contented with adorning your own 

 garden, an awning must be provided when the flowers are in bloom, 

 as their beauty is soon marred by sun and rain. 



PYRAMIDAL FUCHSIAS. 



BY A CORRESPONDENT. 



the Pucbsia has now been brought to a great per- 

 fection both in shape and colour, a few remarks on the 

 mode of culture which I have pursued may perhaps be 

 of use to the amateur in enabling him to produce pyra- 

 midal plants as fine and in as short a time as the most 

 experienced practical gardener. The system I adopt is as follows : 

 I put a few old plants in a warm pit or vinery, where the temperature 

 ranges about 55°, about the end of January or beginning of Feb- 

 ruary, in order that they may have pushed oat plenty of young wood 

 by the middle of March. I then take off what cuttings I can get 

 from each sort, preferring the shortest-jointed wood. First prepare 

 as many four-inch pots as you may require, taking care that the 

 pots are well drained, and the compost of a sharp, open nature — 

 coarse brown river-sand and a little leaf-soil, well intermixed, will 

 be found to suit very well, with about an inch of silver sand on the 

 top, which will enable the cuttings to emit roots more freely. Water 

 gently with a fine-rosed pot, then plunge the pots in the propa- 

 gating pit, where there is a gentle, moist bottom-heat, where in the 

 course of three weeks they will have made roots enough to stand 

 potting off. 



You may now pot off singly into three-inch pots in a light, 

 open-sifted compost of rich loam, leaf-soil, and sand, equal parts, 

 and if you have any bottom-heat to spare, they will be the better to 

 be plunged into it for a day or two, to give the young roots a 

 start. They may now be removed to a warm pit or vinery, or what- 

 ever you find most convenient, where the atmosphere is kept moist, 

 which will ensure a strong, healthy, and vigorous growth. 



When you find the pots full of roots, repot into six-inch pots, 

 using for this shift a good rich compost of turfy loam two parts, 

 one of old rotten cow-droppings, leaf-soil, and sand. As this will 

 be their last shift this season, care must be taken to provide good 

 drainage ; this can be secured by putting in plenty of potsherds, 

 with two or three bits of open turf or moss over all. 



As the plants will now be pushing strongly, they must be tied 

 to a neat stake, as they will be sending out laterals or side-shoots. 

 As the making of these side-branches secures the formation of the 

 plant, a little weak sheep-dung liquid manure will be found very 

 beneficial at this period of their growth. As the first tier of laterals 

 has made their first joint, pinch it at that ; this will not only e n a 



