CULTURE OF FUCHSIAS, 
133 
restricted, by consequence, in tbeir supplies of moisture, and, by lying near tbe 
outside of the pot, being exposed to too violent a degree of solar influence, Fuchsias 
can seldom be preserved in health through the summer, without being in some 
way or other shaded ; which shade is unnecessary and injurious. 
For obviating consequences of this description, the repeated shifting of the plants, 
as they advance in size, into pots of larger dimensions, is strongly recommended. 
The early period at which Fuchsias begin to develop their young shoots must 
further be noted in connexion with potting ; for if they are not shifted directly they 
commence growing, the branches will contract a weakness from which they will not 
usually afterwards recover. 
The soil in which Fuchsias are commonly potted appears to us to contain too 
great a proportion of heath-mould, and not enough nutrimental matter. A sandy 
open earth may be more porous, susceptible of perfect drainage, and less liable to 
saturation ; but we never saw a Fuchsia killed with water that had not been other- 
wise grossly mismanaged ; and it is well known that during summer tliey have to 
be watered two or three times, or even oftener, on each of the hotter days. The 
blossoms of these plants, sooner than those of almost any others, flag and wither 
■when their roots are dry, and though they are restored by a renewed application of 
w^ater, they speedily fall when once subjected to such influences. Altogether, then, 
we think a rich fresh loam, with but little sand, the fittest soil for Fuchsias; and 
we would add leaf-mould, or thoroughly rotted dung, in small quantities, where the 
loam is not naturally nutritive. 
All endeavours to provide against drought will of course prove useless, in the 
absence of the most vigilant attention in administering water during warm weather. 
On those days when the sun is powerful, they demand liberal supplies at least 
twice, and frequently thrice. They should ever be watered from the spout of a 
pot held close down to the soil, and syringing will be of great service if effected 
towards the eveninp;. 
But we desire now to invite the deliberation of the culturis£ on a question that 
has not, as far as our cognizance extends, been previously mooted. It relates to 
the propriety of regularly pruning the dwarf species of Fuchsia. Like the low 
sorts of roses, they have buds throughout the whole length of their branches, though 
they are most thickly collected towards the base. If left to their natural course, 
those nearest the tops of the shoots vv^ill be first developed, and the quantity of 
nourishment they absorb will preclude any of the lower ones from expanding. 
Hence, the plants every year become barer at the bottom, and the dwarfness and 
bushiness which constitute one of their greatest attractions, soon cease to exist. 
Nevertheless, this is not a solitary evil ; for, situated at the weakly extremities of 
branches, those protruded from them cannot be so strong as they would, had they 
been at the lower end, and a process must therefore be in operation which gradually 
debilitates the flowering part of the plant. 
Now, by pruning the young year-old shoots to within two inches of the bottom. 
