124 
THE FLORIST A1*D POMOLOGIST. 
till they get thoroughly into growth, after which they must be gradually 
removed. Keep them well syringed, and let the top heat range about 55° at. 
night, and about 65° in the daytime. Be careful of damp, and by no means 
admit cold draughts nor use cold water ; if so, the leaves will become brown, 
and the vigour of the plant will be gone. 
Suppose cuttings to have been struck about the beginning of January, and 
to have been potted off and doing well. About the third week in February 
the question of stopping must be considered. One of the first objects in 
Fuchsia-growing should be to get the plants into a good shape when young, 
and this requires some consideration. There are some sorts very difficult to 
get up sufficiently high for specimens, but which if once got up will be sure to 
become bushy at the bottom afterwards, because they are naturally dwarf. Others 
that are strong growers, such as Prince Alfred or Exhibition, require a good 
deal of stopping when they are young. They must have their tops taken out 
when about 6 inches high, and four to six side branches must be tied out, by 
placing a piece of bass round the rim of the pot, and fastening the branches to 
it; these must be allowed to grow about 5 inches long before a centre shoot is 
again permitted to grow up ; and when this centre shoot has grown from 
6 to 10 inches more, it is to be stopped again, to give the side branches strength, 
and to give a better bottom to the plant. This kind of stopping is to be con¬ 
tinued till the plant is so thick that you cannot see through it; and the top of 
the plant must by no means be allowed to outgrow the bottom—which indeed 
can easily be prevented by the simple process of taking out the centre of each 
shoot with a sharp-pointed knife. As the pots fill with roots the plants must 
be shifted into larger ones ; they must never become pot-bound, as that would 
throw them into blossom. They must receive their last shift at least three 
months before they are required to be in bloom, and the stopping must be dis ¬ 
continued nine weeks before they are required for exhibition. It is important 
to keep a regular temperature, for no plant is more liable to injury from sudden 
changes of heat than the Fuchsia. Let the temperature range after the middle 
of March 5° higher than already mentioned; and as the season advances 5° 
more may be permitted, with plenty of moisture in the house. Always syringe 
twice a-day, and in hot weather very frequently, and keep plenty of water on 
the floors and staging when the ventilators are open. Give all the air possible 
in fine weather. As soon as the sun begins to give out much heat, the blinds 
must be put in requisition ; they are very necessary in growing Fuchsias, but 
the very minute the sun is off the plants let the blinds be drawn up, for they 
require all the. light possible. 
Young plants, treated the first season as I have described, will make fine 
'exhibition plants the second. Some sorts will do even the third, but they very 
seldom make creditable specimens after their second year. 
About thirteen weeks before the show day the plants should have their last 
shift into 12-inch pots. The soil must be in good condition, and the pots clean 
and well drained with broken pots about an inch thick, and a layer of moss 
over them ; then add about an inch of soil pressed down rather firmly, and all 
is ready for the plants to be turned into the blooming pots. Loop the branches 
up on one side to prevent breaking them; be sure the ball of the plant is 
thoroughly moist. Take out all the drainage, and place the ball carefully into 
the new pot, filling up all round, without injuring the roots. Keep the house 
moist and closed for a few days, and the sun from them, but be sure not to 
overwater them till they get hold of the new soil. In about three weeks they 
will be growing fast; then commence stopping, for the last time, by taking a 
few points out each day for a week. At this stage prepare the liquid manure 
