THE WINTER 



considerable root room. It will not grow or 

 bloom when pot-bound. It should have a 

 sunny place, and at no time should it be allowed 

 to get dry at its roots. If it does, the plant 

 will shortly shed its foliage. It has a multi- 

 tude of thread-like roots which take up water 

 rapidly, therefore it will be necessary to water 

 it much of tener than you do such plants as the 

 .Geranium, which have but few roots, and these 

 rather large ones. Kept moist at all times, 

 and given plenty of sun, it will delight you with 

 its clusters of deliciously fragrant flowers, 

 ranging in color from nearly white to pale 

 blue and dark purple. Cutting the flowers 

 does this plant good, for whenever you clip off 

 a cluster of bloom new branches immediately 

 start on the stalk below, and these in a short 

 time will bear flowers. By frequent pruning 

 you can keep the plant growing throughout 

 the entire season, and as long as it grows it will 

 bloom if proper treatment is given in the man- 

 ner already spoken of. It is a good plan to 

 feed a spoonful of bone-meal once a month to 

 each plant in an eight- or nine-inch pot. 



The impression prevails to a surprising ex- 

 tent that the ordinary Fuchsia is a winter 

 bloomer. Not one person in twenty growing 



174 



