32-1 
THE FUCHSIA, 
There has been much controversy about 
the proper form of the Fuchsia, but we are not 
at all inclined to give up the properties we 
originally laid down. The principal point for 
which some people contend is the drooping of 
the points of the sepals ; so many thousand 
more close about their corolla than open 
fairly out and show it, that the raisers cannot 
reconcile themselves to throwing away their 
pets for nothing. The sketch we have now 
given may be taken to represent one of the 
best we have. It will be observed that there 
are several points gained by the present form. 
In the first place, there is the entire corolla, 
which is the richest portion of a bloom, ex- 
posed. In the second place, there is the better, 
that is to say, the inner surface of the sepals 
shown, and the outer side concealed by turning 
completely up, or reflexing. The brightness 
of flowers so made is striking as compared 
with those which scarcely open, and no one 
w r ould hesitate an instant as to which was the 
better variety. Many Fuchsias open out 
enough to show the corolla ; Riccartoni and 
Formosa Elegans open out horizontally ; many 
others are still more reflexed, but most of them 
have some condemning fault. There are but 
few which completely hide the dull side of the 
sepal, and expose the brighter surface, and of 
those which do, most of them have a tube so 
long that the reflexing sepals do not conceal 
it as they would if it were shorter. "We have 
already said, the sepals and corolla must be 
very much contrasted, and the more the better. 
"White is a contrast with any thing ; even a 
pale rose is pretty if the white sepals be really 
pure ; but violet, pink, crimson, scarlet, or rich 
purple are still better, because more strikingly 
different ; with a scarlet sepal nothing short 
of the darkest blue or purple can be tolerable. 
The mere difference between light red and 
dark red, like the variety called Mrs. Lane, is 
worse than a positive self. The new Fuchsia, 
One-in-the-ring, is very striking as a white 
with a scarlet corolla. Lady Peel is a striking 
flower. The Duchess of Sutherland, Ne 
plus ultra, Miss Prettyman, and some others 
of that class, rank among the pretty ones. 
Were it not for the exceeding purity of the 
white in One-in-the-ring, the length of tube 
would be a great objection, but the white is 
good, as it has been shown in public ; and if 
it be necessary to keep it in the shade to pro- 
duce the white, why we suspect some others 
would be the same. Millie's Napoleon is white 
if grown in a shady house, and pinky if grown 
in the open air or in pits, in which state it is 
only one of a thousand. 
All the varieties we have mentioned are 
inferior to our present sketch, for the reasons 
we have named. We like the form of Globosa 
while in bud, and the form w r e have given 
when fully bloomed. We hope in due time 
we shall be able to impress upon the mind of 
the raisers the necessity that exists for the con- 
summation of all the properties we have men- 
tioned, before we can call a variety perfect. 
There is no form so beautiful as the globe. 
