THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 12. 
30(5 
First, seeds should be sown, at the latest, in April, or 
the beginning of May, the plants pricked out, kept 
under glass, and then, in July, either grown on in pots, 
in a shady, airy place, or, which is better still, planted 
out in a similar place, in nice, light, rough, rich soil, 
i watered when water is wanted, lifted and potted by the 
middle of September, kept close, and frequently syringed 
for a fortnight, and .plenty of air admitted by degrees. 
By this mode large flowering plants may be obtained in 
the middle of November. 
From early-blooming plants of favourite kinds suckers 
can be obtained early in May; these pricked out in a 
close pit or frame, and afterwards either potted or 
[ planted out like the seedlings, will furnish nice, large, 
: early-flowering plants. Again, as I have previously 
mentioned, plants that have stood in their flowering- 
pots until July or August, the flower-stems having been 
removed when blooming was finished, being taken to 
the potting bench, most of the old soil removed, and the 
young shoots picked out, so as to leave only from three 
to half-a-dozen remaining, potted, watered, and kept 
close for a few days, will also furnish good-sized early- 
blooming plants. 
Either or all of these modes may be tried safely, when 
largish-flowering plants are desirable. But, secondly, 
where variety is the object—or, as in the case of our 
good friends the window gardeners, flowering plants in 
small pots are the objects aimed at—then sowing and j 
planting of suckers will be early enough in June and 
August, respectively. The great point, when early bloom 
is wanted, is to have the pots filled with roots before the 
end of October—then flower-stems will begin to rise of 
their own accord. The curbing of the growth directs 
the energies of the plant into the flowering and seed- 
producing processes. With young plants at such a 
season, and plenty of pot-room, no coaxing, no forcing, 
can make them flower satisfactorily; for if they bloom 
at all, the flower-stems and flowers alike will be of a 
pigmy description. So much is this the case, that fine 
large plants late in the season—say from June to July— 
can only be procured by commencing late with young 
plants, and never allowing them to have a check from 
want of pot-room, managing it so, however, that the 
pot shall be filled with roots before you want the flower- 
stems to rise. 
I have grown some monsters of these in my time, hut 
I was never satisfied with these huge plants, as several 
smaller plants, occupying the same space placed toge¬ 
ther, such as in a vase or basket, would in general look 
better. For small greenhouses and windows, nice 
flowering plants may be had in pots ranging in size 
from three to five inches, more especially if a small 
saucer is placed beneath them. I have taken the smaller 
of these sizes out of their pots, and packed them firmly 
together in vases among half-decayed moss, with a little 
green on the surface. They stand this rougliish treat¬ 
ment well when in bloom, and a little manure w'ater 
gives them ample nourishment. Of course, if you think 
of exhibiting, you must keep to single plants. I have 
known cases where disqualification and exposure ought 
to have been the reward instead of a prize. 
Now is a good time to purchase some of the best 
kinds—you will thus escape the risks of winter. En¬ 
courage growth by potting as they require it, for two 
months at least, in light, sandy, rich soil. Keep them 
in a close moist atmosphere, a little shaded in extra 
bright sunshine, or, if exposed, just draw the syringe so 
as to dew the foliage, leaving a little air on. Give them 
a temperature of from 45° to 50°, with 10° more for 
sunshine; and at least every week, if there is such a 
thing as the slightest trace of fly, apply a whiff of tobacco 
from the fumigating machine, giving the dose often, 
rather than much at a time. As soon as the flower-stems 
j commence appearing, give more air, and clear manure 
water of the temperature of 60°, alternately with common 
soft water. R- Fish. 
FUCHSIAS FOR WINDOWS AND OUT-DOOR 
VASES. 
In the early part of a January, I once was accosted in 
the following manner:—“Do not my Fuchsia plants 
look beautiful and green. I have given them so much 
attention, watered them so nicely, sponged the leaves, 
moved them to a snug place in cold nights, and watched 
them carefully. But will they bloom well, and better 
than Mrs. Brown’s, whose plants are now as brown as a 
hazel nut, and not a green twig on them? And yet, 
what do you think she actually told me, that her 
brown plants would do mine brown before the month of 
June had come and gone.” We shall not repeat what 
we said when an opening was at all given to edge in a 
reply to such a descent of queries and statements, 
farther than to mention that the plants referred to were 
just too green. They had received no pruning, but a 
very moderate portion of air, and were kept in a warm 
sitting room, the excitement of which had greatly 
elongated some slender shoots, all that could be 
expected from which were a few early flowers, and a 
weak, debilitated plant afterwards. 
It wmuld better serve our window friends to tell how 
Mrs. Brown always managed to have such nice stocky 
blossom-covered plants in her window in summer, 
though they never appeared there at all among her 
! sweet-scented geraniums, primulas, and bulbs in winter. 
Well, no sooner did the plants begin to be a little 
shabby in the window, from the leaves dropping 
and getting discoloured, than out they were bundled 
to any place full in the sun, out of doors, supplied 
freely with water at first, and less freely afterwards, 
so that the wood should be well hardened. As soon as 
frost came, they were removed in doors, and the first 
opportunity that presented itself, they were stored away 
into a place, half lumber-room, half cellar, with plenty of 
air whistling through it. Any out-house or shed would 
answer equally well. There was no danger of damp, 
but then the current of air made it likely that there 
might be too much dryness, and she had no mind to use 
a water-can during the winter. She wanted the soil to 
be kept a little moist, and not thoroughly dry. An old 
empty hox stood there, it was filled with moss, and in 
this the pots were plunged, and covered for six inches, 
j while a little dry straw was fixed over the stems, and 
there they remained from the end of October to the 
end of February, and in cold springs, with piercing east 
winds, for a month longer. Various things had been 
tried for plunging in—short dryish dung, saw-dust, hay, 
but moss was preferred, hay was apt to mould, and thus 
injure the stems, a matter of no great consequence, as 
when cut down, suckers came in plenty, and one could 
be selected to form a nice one-stemmed plant, but then 
such a plant would not bloom so soon as when the 
shoots came from the old stem. As spring approached, 
the plants used to get a look now and then, to see if the 
buds were breaking, and to examine if the soil was not 
too dry. When the young shoots were a quarter-of-an- 
incli in length, the plants were pruned. Cut well in 
the young shoots of last season, on plants of one stem, 
being shortened to a spur with one or two buds. With 
many things it would be best to do all this in the 
autumn, but in this instance you can never use your 
knife with more certainty, though thus removing a con¬ 
siderable portion of the strength of the plant. If spurs 
low enough to please you do not break, cut the plant 
down to the surface of the soil, and select one or several 
6lioots as they break. 
The plants were left alone after pruning, until the 
shoots had grown from half-an-inch to an inch; then 
