Progress of Horticulture for 1S42. 7 



want of a judicious mode of management, or from the im- 

 possibility of procuring choice seed, there does not appear 

 to have been but a few kinds ever grown in this country, 

 which are worthy of extensive cultivation. In England it 

 is now a chosen favorite ; and beautiful varieties are annu- 

 ally produced. It is a prominent flower at all the exhibi- 

 tions, and great numbers of prizes are annually awarded 

 for the best collections. 



The Fuchsia, from the great splendor, profuse blooming, 

 and easy cultivation of the new hybrid varieties, is be- 

 coming a great favorite with amateur cultivators. More 

 than thirty kinds are now advertised by some of the Lon- 

 don florists. At the exhibitions of the London Horticultu- 

 ral Society, of the past year, they were prominent objects of 

 admiration. Our cultivators do not yet appear to have im- 

 bibed the same zeal for this flne tribe : but we trust we shall 

 not have the opportunity to say this on the return of an- 

 other year. We would direct the attention of amateurs to 

 the propriety of raising seedlings by cross-impregnation of 

 the lYilgens, globosa, corymbiflora, Standishu', and others. 



An important addition has been, or ultimately will be, 

 made to our collections by the labors of the exploring expe- 

 dition. The number of live plants brought home amounts 

 to between 200 and 300 species, among tliem several new 

 fruit trees from the East Indies. The collection of seeds 

 embraces many hundred kinds, from all the various places 

 where the exploring expedition touched ; among them many 

 of the ericas, from the Cape of Good Hope, and the 

 splendid Pinus Lambertidwf, and others, from ihe Columbia 

 River. The seeds were placed under the direction of the 

 National Institute at Washington, and have been liberally 

 distributed by Dr. Pickering, the curator. For the growth 

 of *the live plants a greenhouse, 50 feet long, has been erect- 

 ed on the vacant ground in the rear of the patent oflice. 

 Part of this is partitioned off, as a stove or hothouse, for 

 the tropical plants and fruits. These, when increased, will 

 probably be distributed among the nurserymen of the coun- 

 try. The whole of the plants are under the charge of our 

 correspondent, Mr. Breckenridge, from whom we hope to 

 receive a list of their names, as well as some extracts from 

 his original notes and remarks on the many beautiful and 

 grand productions of Flora, examined by him in their native 

 habitats. This the government will not now alloAv him to 



