1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMEE. 



199 



•white. It will flourish and bloom, even when 

 neglected ; but it well r(>pays all care spent 

 upon it. It was introduced from China in 

 1770, and is easily propagated by cuttings. 

 8et it in a pot drained with broken brick or 

 cinders ; in a soil, four parts loam, two of leaf 

 moiJd, and one of sand. Old plants should be 

 re-potted in September, with a ball of earth 

 about the roots. If kept in an equal temper- 

 ature of moderate heat, day and night, it will 

 bloom from Dcceniljer till the last of March. 

 After blooming, prune it freely, or it will have 

 an awkward, scrubby appearance. Keep the 

 leaves free from dust. To effect this it will need 

 frequent syringing through the winter, if in a 

 small room. 



EUPATORIUM. Pliny says that this plant 

 derives its name fromEupater, king of Pontus, 

 who first used it in medicine. Many species 

 have been discovered on this continent ; but 

 few are found in Asia, less in Africa, and not 

 one in Europe. Several ars medicinal, as 

 E. 2)erfoliaium — boneset — thoroughwort — or 

 fevenvort, and E. rotimdifolmm — hoarhound. 

 Others are ornamental, lifting their branches 

 of bright green foliage crowned with clusters 

 of tassel-shaped flowers, white, purple, blue, 

 or pink, by the side of woodland streams, or 

 along lonely mountain paths. But the florist 

 has adopted them ; and under his loving care 

 their beauty has been greatly enhanced. E. 

 ageratoides and E. ccelestinum are among the 

 best for cultivation, and are very desirable as 

 funeral flowers. Grow them in a soil of peat, 

 sand, and loam. Water them freely. Give 

 but little sun when in bloom. Propagate by 

 cuttings, started in the spring; and water 

 daily through the summer. In the autumn 

 they will have attained a good height and 

 strength for blooming through the whole win- 

 ter. Cut the flowers when in full bloom, as the 

 seeds are quickly ripened and set free, — some- 

 times wafted to the soil of other plants, and 

 germinate where they are unwelcome. Old 

 plants should be cut down in May, the soil 

 shaken from their roots, and re-potted lest 

 they should get pot-bound. 



Fuchsia, sometimes called Ladies' Ear-drop. 

 Named in honor of Leonard Fuchs, a German 

 botanist. It is a native of the warmest parts 

 of America — was first discovered by Father 

 Plumier, a Jesuit, on one of the French Is- 

 lands ; and introduced for cultivation by Mil- 



ler, in 1774. Since then many varieties have 

 appeared. A sailor boy carried liis mother in 

 England, a plant from "over the sea." For 

 his sake she cherished it with great care. It 

 stood at her window, and one day attracted the 

 attention of a horticulturist, who was passing. 

 He immediately bargained for its purchase, and 

 for many years this was one of the best spe- 

 cies known. The fuchsia is increased by cut- 

 tings rooted in damp sand and covered by a 

 glass, then changed to a pot filled one-quarter 

 with sherds. Soil — loam, peat, and leaf-motild, 

 in equal proportions. Break up the peat, and 

 mix the parts well, but loosely. Do not injure 

 the rootlets in arranging the soil about them. 

 Water it well. Give it air, and shade. In a 

 week or two tie the centre stalk to a stake. 

 Thin out the side shoots — let only enough re- 

 main to give the plant a symmetrical shape. 

 When the branches are two or three inches 

 long, pnich out their tips, to make them grow 

 bushy ; and, if you choose, the centre stem, 

 also, when it is three feet high. Give liquid 

 manure to hasten the buds ; and place in the 

 sunshine. If the branches droop too much, 

 arrange rods or wires at the edge of the pot 

 and tie them up. After blooming prune closely, 

 and re-pot. All fuchsias are so beautiful it is 

 useless to particularize any species. The 

 flowers when cut remain fresh a long time ; 

 they are therefore in much request as orna- 

 ments for the hair and for boquets. 



FoRGET-ME-xoT. An old legend of the 

 Troubadours tells us that a knight and a "ladie 

 faire" were walking beside a stream. And the 

 lady seeing among the sedges a little flower of 

 "heavenlie blue" expressed a desire for it. 

 Her companion hastened to gratify her wish. 

 With much difficulty he succeeded in gathering 

 the blossoms ; but the tide was rising rapidly, 

 and his strength failed. Throwing the flowers 

 toward her, he cried, "Forget me not;" and 

 sank beneath the wave. This is the origin of 

 the name. It grows wild in England, in damp 

 places, but is transplanted to gardens ; and in 

 Paris pots of forget-me-not are regular arti- 

 cles for sale in the markets. It is said that af- 

 ter the battle of Waterloo an immense quanti- 

 ty of the plant sprang up on the field. The 

 Germans decorate their tombs so frequently 

 with it that they may well call it "the flower of 

 death." Among Italians it is the periwinkle 

 With us it has lately been brought into notice, 



