SHRUBBY AZNTD STTB-SHETTBBY TL0WEE3. 117 



either entirely, or more commonly down to the ground, 

 reducing it to the condition of an herbaceous plant. 

 Hence, its greater luxuriance near the sea. An old- 

 established Double Furze well merits a little protection, 

 when unusually hard weather threatens to destroy it. 



Fuschia. — Flowering shrubs, from the central and 

 southern regions of America, and from New Zealand, 

 with pendent flowers, combining grace of form with the 

 charm of rich colouring. The first arrivals, from the end 

 of the eighteenth century, were shrubby, twiggy plants, 

 with a certain degree of hardiness ; such as F glolosa, 

 virgata, coccinea, &c. ; but in 1837 <^ame F. Jidgens. of 

 quite a different character, with larger, tenderer leaves, 

 longer blossoms produced in terminal clusters, and more 

 delicate constitution. This was soon followed by corym- 

 biflora, cordifolia, and serratifolia, from which, amongst 

 themselves and with the older sorts, very numerous 

 hybrids have been obtained, and are still being obtained 

 anew every season. The list of beautiful varieties now 

 on record must amount to several hundreds. F. splendens 

 and its nearest relatives, with the offspring which have 

 originated from them, are scarcely fitted for the open 

 border, as their large leaves and fragile stems render 

 them the victims of gusts of wind, besides requiring a 

 more greenhouse-like climate than even that of our most 

 genial summers. The twiggy Fuschias may be regarded 

 as herbaceous plants in the inland counties of England : 

 many of them stand the winter, and form strong stools : 

 although the frost may cut them down to the root, they 

 shoot and flower well the following summer. In the 

 south, and by the sea, they will form permanent bushes 

 or coverings for walls. They are better suited to make 

 single, than bedding plants ; their habit is so decidedly 

 different, as to give them the look of "a very odd lot " 

 when collected in varieties to make masses in the parterre. 

 Any light rich mould suits them, with no stint of water, 

 or the weakest possible" liquid manure, during their period 

 of growth. They strike readily from cuttings under a 

 hand-light. They are good plants for the amateur to 



