February 13, 1909. THE QARDEN1NQ WORLD. 
How to Grow Fuchsias. 
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Except for the purpose of obtaining 
new varieties, Fuchsias are always propa¬ 
gated or increased by means of cuttings 
taken from good varieties which the culti¬ 
vator desires to increase. Cuttings may 
be rooted at any season, although, on the 
whole, it is best to commence in autumn, 
as plenty of cuttings can then be obtained 
from the growths made during summer. 
These should consist of short side shoots, 
without flowers, if possible, taken off with 
a slight heel of the old wood as shown 
at A in the accompanying sketches. The' 
method of preparing a cutting is shown 
at B. If the lower joint had been a little 
longer another pair of leaves should have 
been left upon this cutting. Six of these 
cuttings will be sufficient for a 60 size 
pot, using light sandy soil and draining 
the pots well. 
Those who have the convenience of a 
propagating case or frame can plunge 
the pots in this, and if there is a bottom 
heat of 60 degs. the cutting will root all 
the more quickly. There is no actual 
need to plunge them in heat unless the 
cultivator wishes to root them quickly. 
They would even root sufficiently in a 
cold frame if the intention is simply to 
keep them in those pots till spring. It 
is possible, however, by potting off the 
cuttings as soon as rooted and keeping 
them in a temperature of 50 degs. to 60 
degs. by night, they can be kept growing 
all the winter and will be plants of some 
considerable height by July in the follow¬ 
ing year, when they may be allowed to 
flower. A better plan, however, is to let 
them come along more slowly and to build 
of air and whenever any shoot starts 
up a shapely plant by being regularly 
stopped to make them produce side shoots 
so that all parts of the plant may be well 
furnished. This refers to plants being 
grown in pyramidal shape. 
Unless there is any particular necessity 
for getting plants earlv a better plan 
would be to keep the cuttings fairly cool 
during winter and to pot them off in 
spring when the temperature is sufficiently 
high to induce fresh growth. When well 
rooted pot them off singly in 3 in. pots 
and grow the “plants on in a frame or 
greenhouse during the summer. They 
should be lightly shaded, but have plenty 
growing rampantly, making the plant un¬ 
equal sided,, it should be stopped to in¬ 
duce a close branching habit. Repotting 
must also be attended to whenever this 
is required. Young plants in 3 in. pots 
may be shifted into 5 in. or 6 in. pots, 
according to vigour when growing well 
and before the roots get pot bound. 
Whether grown in frames or in the green¬ 
house the cultivator must bear in mind 
that air, water and light are the principal 
things to be attended to. A light shad¬ 
ing will be sufficient-, especially if the 
plants are in bloom. 
Towards autumn of the first year, plants 
that have been grown slowly in a green¬ 
house will appear somewhat like that 
shown at D. About the end of September 
water mav be gradually withheld and the 
leaves will gradually fall off, after which 
the plants may be stood in any convenient 
part of the house where they. will be se¬ 
cure from frost and not subject to drip 
from the plants overhead. They must not 
be allowed, however, to get dust dry, as 
97 
plants are often killed by this means by 
those who think they should be thor¬ 
oughly dried off. Here they will keep 
without any trouble till growth is about 
to commence in spring. They may then 
be cut back as shown at E if intended 
to make dwarf, bushy plants. If a pyra¬ 
midal form is aimed at the central stem 
should be retained and the side branches 
merely shortened. 
At this time they can be repotted. The 
old soil may be mostly all shaken away, 
so that the plants can go into the same 
size again. If their size and vigour war¬ 
rants it early in summer they can be 
shifted on into larger sizes before they 
get pot bound. The same method of 
growing as previously described may be 
carried out and in the autumn the plants 
should be very much larger in size, 
whether they are bushes or pyramids. 
During the early stages of growth their 
shape should be kept in mind by stop¬ 
ping rampant shoots to encourage a close 
branching habit. 
When they commence to flower they 
should be allowed to grow pretty much 
in their own way. Feed with liquid ma¬ 
nure after the pots are filled with roots 
and side branches may be looped up if 
they become too long. They should, of 
course, be looped into gaps or openings 
in the bush. 
If the cultivator desires to make a 
standard as shown at F he should en¬ 
courage growth in length, with a straight 
main stem. The side branches should 
not be cut away in the early stages, even 
if they, are pinched back to prevent flow¬ 
ering. These side branches will encour¬ 
age the stem to thicken in the lower parts 
and thus secure a good stem to carry a 
head. The main stem may be stopped at 
any desired height. The same treatment 
may be given year after year as to other 
forms, merely pruning- to regulate a 
globular or pyramidal head according to 
fancy. 
A light but rich compost is best for 
Fuchsias. Any light sandy compost will 
suit for the rooting of cuttings, but when 
potted off singly a richer material should 
be employed. The diagram at G shows 
that a good compost mav be made of two 
parts of loam, one part of well-decayed 
cow manure, one part of sand, half a 
part leaf-mould, and one-sixth part of 
wood ashes, which will keep the compost 
porous. This is necessary as Fuchsias 
enjov heavy waterings, both at the root 
and overhead during warm weather in 
summer. _ 4.4..+ _ 
Alfred Edwards’ Seed List. 
We have just received a copy of this 
useful catalogue being distributed by Mr. 
Alfred Edwards, Market Street, Fordham. 
Cambs. It includes an illustrated list of 
various useful and well selected vege¬ 
tables. Flowers are also illustrated to 
some extent, including the most gener- 
ally useful for small gardens, as well as 
those of larger size. He offers eighteen 
Sweet Pea novelties, as well as a gen¬ 
eral list of older sorts. Both covers 
are handsomely ornamented with a 
coloured illustration of six fancy Pansies 
in various shades of colour, and if any¬ 
thing like this they would certainly be 
handsome for garden decoration. A 
white ground variety with large, bright 
sky-blue blotches is very handsome, and 
cannot be a common colour. 
tjJ+odi . 
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How to Grow Fuchsias. 
