322 
THE FUCHSIA. 
Mat. — The treatment should be the same 
as last mouth, in almost every respect. "While 
growing, the plants want great attention as to 
"watering, and giving them plenty of air, for 
they will otherwise draw up weakly. If they 
could in cloudy weather he quite open to the 
air, so much the better. The seedlings must 
be watered, and may be supplied with as much 
air as possible ; they should be as near the 
glass as you can put them. 
June. — In this month many plants will 
begin to flower, and in a collection they may 
be better to come at different times, than all 
at once. If you intend them for late show, 
they must be kept cool and very airy, and 
completely shaded from the sun ; but the ma- 
terial must be light, for if they are darkened, 
they cannot bloom so finely, and the foliage is 
apt to turn pale. Such as are not showing 
bloom buds, or, if showing, are required to 
bloom soon, may be continued with all the 
benefit of the sun, and in the natural warmth 
of the house. Seedlings will be growing fast, 
and the balls may be examined towards the 
end of the month, to see if the roots are too 
thick in the pots ; if they should be, the plants 
may be removed into small sized sixty-pots, 
say those of 2\ to 3 inches across the top, one 
in each pot ; they may be well watered to 
settle the earth about the roots, and replaced 
until they are established, after which they 
may be set out of doors, and allowed to receive 
all the weather ; but the bottom on which 
they stand must be bard, and not retain wet, 
nor admit roots. Pay great attention to the 
watering in the house, in the pits, and the 
open air, — but especially the open air, because 
the sun has great power, and soon dries up the 
moisture of small pots. You must be guided 
by the state of the soil, and not merely do it 
periodically. Thin the bloom buds where 
they are too thick, for the flowers should never 
crowd. Look to the seedlings of last year, 
and save only such as show good properties. 
July. — The season of blooming having 
fairly set in, all that can be done for the 
appearance of the plants should be done, such 
as taking off any branches that appear super- 
fluous, and increasing the size of the pots if 
neces.viry, but this must be done carefully if 
at all. The seedlings may, by the end of the 
month, have filled their pots with roots, and 
if so, they must be changed from the sixty- 
size to the forty-eight size ; and if this be 
well d ; ne, they will only require watering to 
settle the new earth about the balls that are 
already surrounded with roots. To do this, 
the ball should be turned out by gently tap- 
ping the edge of the pot against the table or 
potting bench, holding the plant wrong side 
upwards, with a finger on each side to prevent 
it falling down ; the new pot should have a 
bit of sponge at the bottom, or some crocks 
or moss by way of drainage, and then a little 
soil ; then place the ball of earth on it, and 
press it till the surface of it is about as high 
in the pot as it ought to be. The compost 
should then be put round and pressed gently 
down till the space is filled ; they must then 
be watered gently to settle the earth, and be 
placed out again on the hard ground to grow 
as they will. Examine the seedlings of last 
year as they bloom, and throw away all that 
exhibit no novelty or valuable property ; and 
unless a flower be first-rate, do not save a 
badly habited plant. Strike cuttings, if 
wanted. 
August. — The plants, all in full bloom as 
much as they will be, only require regulating, 
and the flowers thinning, so that too many be 
not left on the same branch, and that they 
hang not in each other's way. Subject to 
the. different plans of growing the different 
varieties, the plants must be managed accord- 
ing to their habits. The seedlings are still to 
be attended to, out of doors, so that their 
natural growth shall be seen. It is of the 
highest importance that they should be allowed 
to grow as they are inclined, without topping 
or stopping, or checking in any way, that 
their true natural habit may be seen ; care 
must be taken that they do not root through 
the pots into the ground they stand on, and 
the moisture must be attended to more parti- 
cularly than in the large collection, for they 
are more exposed. Fertilize the principal 
sorts with the pollen of such as may be thought 
likely to give an improved change, and tie the 
pods so fertilized. Examine the seedlings of 
last year as they open, and select only those 
which are really novel and beautiful, and of 
good habit, for keeping. Cuttings may be 
struck at any time if they are required. 
September. — The large plants as they pass 
their prime, may be placed out of doors, and 
if seed be not wanted, pick off all the pods 
inclined to swell, retaining those which may 
have been fertilized and marked as such. It 
is necessary that such as have seed to 
ripen, should be housed again in the green- 
house or pit, or in some way sheltered from 
frost. Towards the end of the month let all 
the seedlings be placed in pits which can be 
covered from frost, as their young growth, 
and their inclination to continue it longer than 
the principal plants, render them more suscep- 
tible of damage than any other. They require 
no heat, but they must be well preserved from 
frost. Cuttings may be taken at this as well 
as at any other period, when it is at all desi- 
rable to increase a variety, but in proportion to 
its value, so it should be carefully managed ; 
the most valuable may be thus treated : — Let 
the cuttings contain two joints, one from above 
