74 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDENING. 



prominent, and th.e pollen plentiful. In select- 

 ing flowers for crossing- with, each other, it ought 

 always to he home in mind that those hearing 

 seed will communicate their hahit of growth and 

 general character to their seedlings. Having se- 

 lected the flowers to operate upon, the stamens 

 should he cut out as soon as they open ; and 

 when the blossoms are fully expanded, the pollen 

 from the pollen parents must he applied, and the 

 flowers so operated upon should have something tied 

 round their stems to distinguish their seed-pods. 

 When they are ripe, the seed can be separated from 

 the pulji which surrounds them by washing them 

 in clear water; the good seed will sink to the 

 bottom. 



The seed can be sown in spring, in a pan or pot of 

 light soil, which can be placed in a green-house. A 

 great deal of heat is not required to induce the 

 seeds to germinate, and they do this somewhat 

 quickly. As soon as the little plants are large 

 enough to handle, they require to be potted singly 

 in small pots, and placed in a light airy situation, 

 and on no account should the plants be allowed to 

 become drawn and lanky. The plants should be 

 shifted two or three times into larger pots, but it will 

 be found that pots four or five inches in diameter 

 will be large enough to flower them in. Not a 

 shoot should be removed until the plants bloom. 

 The principal object of the raiser should be to m;i- 

 ture the plants as quickly as possible so as to induce 

 them to flower. This they will do in many cases 

 the same season, and such of the seedlings as promise 

 to be good should be saved for another season's 

 growth, and the inferior ones rejected. When the 

 plants have done growing the foliage will drop off, 

 and they shotdd then be sparingly watered, and be 

 kept pretty dry all the winter, and out of reach of 

 harm from frost. The following season, as soon as 

 they begin to show signs of activity, they should be 

 freely watered, but not shifted, be placed where they 

 can have plenty of air and light, and shifted only 

 when they begin to flower. It is a good plan to 

 plant the seedlings out in a bed in the garden when 

 all danger from frost has passed ; the colours come 

 brighter and more distinct, and the raiser is better 

 able to form an estimate of their value. It is well 

 to have this bed placed in a situation where it can 

 be shaded from the sun, and then a good opportunity 

 will be afforded for the raiser to thoroughly test and 

 make a suitable selection from his seedlings. We 

 have already touched on the great interest attaching 

 to the raising and blooming of seedling plants. It 

 is an occupation of an exceedingly pleasing cha- 

 racter. 



The illustrations will show, to some extent, the 

 quite different types of flower in cultivation, though 



neither is a very modern variety. There are a 

 section of long-tubed varieties, represented by I\ 

 Vcnmta (the Beautiful Fuchsia). This is one of the 

 oldest varieties in cultivation, ha-sdng been intro- 

 duced from Mexico half a century ago ; but is now 

 very scarce, though of late it has again been sought 

 after in several quarters. The colours are crimson- 

 purple. Other handsome long-tubed sorts are Do- 

 miniana, Corymhijiora, Fulgens, and Scrratifolia, all of 

 which are very distinct in character. The other 

 variety illustrated, F. splendens, was introduced from 

 Mexico about the year 1S41, and it still remains a 

 favourite. It will be seen that the flowers are quite 

 different from the others and much shorter ; they 

 have a scarlet tube and green sepals. 



List of Varieties. 

 Single Varieties ivith Bed Tales and Sepals, and Darlc Corollas, 



Alfonso. 

 C harming. 

 Duke of Albany. 

 Enoch Arden. 

 Gazelle. 



General Garfield. 

 General Roberts. 

 Henry Brooks. 

 Improvement. 



James Huntley. 



James Lye. 



James Welcb. 



Mr. J. Huntley. 



Mr. King. 



President. 



Sir Bartle.Frere. 



Spitfire. 



"W ave of Life. 



Single Va) icties with White Tubes and Sepals, and Pinl:, Rose, 

 Cavinine, and Scarlet Corollas. 



Beauty of Clyffe Hall. 

 Beauty of Trowbridge. 

 Blushing Bride. 

 Harriet Lye. 

 Lady Heytesbnry. 

 Lye's Favourite. 



Lye's Perfection. 

 Margiuata. 

 Mrs. Bright. 

 Mrs. Marshall. 

 Priuce Alfred. 

 Princess Beatrice. 



Single Varieties with Red Tubes and Sepals, and WhiteCorollas 



Canuell's Gem, 

 Delight. 



Flocou de Neige. 



Mrs. E. Bennett. 

 Mrs. Mein. 

 Touniefort. 



Double Varieties ivith Red Tubes and Sepals, and Violet, Blue, 

 and Purple Corollas. 



Alfred Dumesnil. 

 Avalanche. 



ChamiHon of the "World. 

 Gem of Ipswich. 



La France. 



Marvellous. 



Monument. 



Sir Garnet Wolseley. 



Double Varieties tvitib Red Tubes and Sepals, and While 

 Corollas. 



Frau Emma Topfer. 

 Gustave Dore. 

 Madame Jules Chretien. 



Minstrel. 



Mrs. H. Cannell. 



Nellie Morton. 



Various Species and Varieties of Fuchsias for 

 Decoration. 



Conse^-vatory 



Albo coccinea. 

 Corymbiflora. 

 Dominianum. 



Fulgens. 



Serratifolia. 



Splendeus. 



Fuchsias with Golden and Variegated Foliage. 



Aucubaefolia. 

 Cloth of Gold. 

 Meteor. 



j Pillar of Gold. 

 ! Regalia. 

 I Sim-ray. 



