172 
JOURNAL  OR  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  24,  1899. 
CULTURE  OF  FUCHSIAS. 
These  old  favourites  are  not  grown  in  many  parts  of  the  country 
■either  so  extensively  or  so  well  as  they  deserve.  Scarlet  Pelargoniums 
nnd  tuberous  Begonias  are  very  well  in  their  wav,  imparting  a  blaze  and 
providing  a  show  not  perhaps  attainable  without  their  usp  ;  but  mere 
•glare  and  gaudines.s  in  a  greenhouse,  esp°cially  at  a  season  when  there  is 
•glare  enough  and  to  spare  outside,  have  not  the  soothing  influence  of 
"the  grace  and  quiet  beauty  of  the  Fuchsia.  when  well  grown  Ski '1  of  the 
■commonest  sort  will  provide  a  display  of  Zonals  and  Petunias,  while  little 
skill  will  provide  Balsams  and  other  plants  which  find  their  wav  to  the 
rubbish  heap  sooner  or  later  ;  but  giod  culture  is  required  to  produce 
Fuchsias  from  6  feet  high  and  upwards  perfectly  furnished  with  growths, 
so  that  no  stem  or  twig  is  seen,  and  so  densely  covere  1  with  flowers  that 
"2  inches  without  blooms  could  not  be  found  in  the  whole  plant.  Yet  it,  is 
•not  so  much  skill  that  is  wanted  as  love  for  the  plant,  for  where  love  is  there 
•will  he  attention  ;  where  love  is  not  there  will  be  inattention  and  failure. 
The  sod  is  the  main  item  in  Fuchsia  culture.  It  needs  something  solid 
■and  good.  No  natural  loam  is  half  good  enough  or  rich  enough.  One- 
year-old  turf  from  a  medium  loam  may  he  taken  as  the  best,  basis  ; 
still,  as  it  is  only  what  is  artificially  supplied  that  is  to  be  depended  on. 
that  rather  than  the  medium  ought  to  he  m  'st  thrurht  of  m  preparing  the 
compost.  The  Fuchsia  requires  nitrogren,  phosphates,  and  potash.  I  have 
never  found  a  better  way  of  giving  these  than  by  laving  up  good  loam 
months  before  it  was  wanted  with  layers  of  cow  manure  hetwpen.  and 
■then  a  soaking  of  urine.  Under  cover,  no  rain  washed  the  manure  out, 
t  he  soil  fixed  the  potash  and  the  phosphates,  and  'turned  the  urea  to 
nitrates.  Meanwhile  the  cow  manure  had  b°come  soil — not,  the  grease 
fermented  soil  of  a  manure  bed,  and  not  the  acidulated  humus  manufactured 
bv  worms — but  sweet,,  light,  wholesome,  nutritious  soil  gifted  with  root- 
producing,  root-feeding  powers.  Soil  so  prepared  would  produce 
luxuriance  in  anything — for  a  time.  But  “nothing  in  this  world  can 
last,”  and  nitrates  speedily  leave  a  soil  through  which  wa‘or  runs  as  it 
visually  does  in  pots.  Manure  is  not  so  rich  in  phosphates  as  one  might 
think,  and  potash  and  phosphat°s  are  soon  exhausted  when  only  a.  small 
pot  holds  the  rooting  ground  of  a  large  Fuchsia.  When  >he  loam  is 
chopped  tip  for  using  at  po'ting  time  then  we  sprinkle  a  little  hopodust  to 
vield  future  supplies  of  phosphates  and  also  ammonia  The  mam  supply 
of  nitrogen  we  leave  to  the  future,  and  other  minerals  (over  and  above  the 
phosphates  and  potash!  are  snnplied  in  the  merest,  sprinkling  of  wood 
■ashes.  When  the  loam  is  very  heavy  or  fibreless  a  little  sand  is  given  — 
only  then. 
Rooting  Cuttings. 
In  the  matter  of  raising  plants  the  only  beginning  is  with  cuttings. 
Of  course,  only  those  who  have  old  plants  from  which  to  take  cuttings  can 
thus  begin.  Those  who  have  not  cannot  get  their  voung  plan’s  in  too 
small  a  state.  As  usually  treated  plants  of  anv  great,  size  have  a  check, 
and  are  not  worth  having.  T  cannot,  tell  what  time  of  the  year  is  hest  for 
rooting  cuttings,  but  prefpr  January.  Cuttings  taken  than  and  properly 
treated  will  be  3,  4,  5,  fi  feet  high  hushes,  and  beautifully  furnished  the 
same  year.  A  heat,  of  60°  i9  needed  to  do  the  cuttings  justice,  and 
moisture  to  prevent  flagging  is  necessary.  If  this  can  he  given,  an  open 
bed  is  much  to  be  preferred  to  a  close  case.  Op°n  porous  loom  with  just 
a  suspicion  of  sharp  sand  at  the  base  of  the  cuttings  is  th°  best  medium 
to  root  them  in.  and  it  should  he  on  a  bed  or  in  a  box.  The  single-pot 
system  is  the  plan  to  be  avoided. 
If  the  soil  is  kept  warm — -about  70°,  and  the  cuttings  upyer  flng.  t.hev 
will  speedily  root  and  commence  growing.  If  the  soil  is  such  ns  T  have 
described  they  will  grow  vigorously.  If  only  ordinary  loam  is  osod.  and 
the  orthodox  leaf  «oil  and  sand  added  do  not  he  disappointed  if  they  fail 
to  move.  When  the  growth  is  started  the  p'ants  shoo’d  he  transferred  to 
4-inch  pots.  The  loam  should  he  made  friable  and  porous  and  onlv 
moderately  firm.  The  crush  of  roots  will  moke  it  too  firm  bv-and-hv. 
Moreover,  we  want  the  present  roots  to  mult’plv  rapidly  to  seize  the 
nitrates  and  pass  them  up  to  the  leaves  to  ho  manufactured  into  plant 
tissue.  One  crock  in  the  bottom  of  the  pots,  which  must  hp  without  a 
suspicion  of  clogging  dirt,  will  be  enough.  The  soil  should  he  warm. 
Returned  to  tliejr  warm  quarters,  given  plenty  of  room,  and  all  the  air 
and  light  possible,  they  will  grow  very  rapidly,  and  in  a  few  weeks  will 
take  another  shift. 
Training. 
Long  before  shifting  is  necessary,  for  I  prefer  a  pot  pretty  well  filled 
with  roots,  I  am  not  sure  but  the  nitrogen  in  the  soil  may  he  getting 
scarce.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  the  surface  of  the  pot  is  white  with  roots, 
as  it  will  surely  he  in  open  wholesome  loam  kept  properly  mo'st,  vet 
■never  so  wet  as  to  induce  souring,  I  begin  to  give  liquid  manure.  Nothing 
surpasses  urine.  The  water  is  iust  tainted  with  this,  and  the  result 
justifies  the  practice.  The  urea  in  it  as  well  as  the  potash  are  directly 
assimilable,  and  so  long  as  every  drop  of  water  contains  hnt.lt  the  plants 
never  want.  Anything  above  a  taint  under  such  conditions  is  too  strong. 
Staking  always  requires  attention,  and  also  pinching.  Wdmn  rani  11  v 
grown  in  a  temperature  of  from  55°  to  65°  and  well  fed.  pinching  is 
hardly  wanted.  Varieties  of  good  habit  grow  the  shape  of  a  Snrnce  Fir 
naturally,  and  that  form  i9  the  best.  One  stake  is  sufficient  up  the  centre. 
A  leader  must  be  kept  for  training  to  this.  Tf  it  grow  freely  and 
furnish  side  shoots  plentifully  let  it  go.  If  it  fail  to  furnish  these,  or  if 
it  show  flowers,  the  top  must  he  pinched  and  repinched,  and  a  new 
leader  selected  continually.  The  sile  growths  should  be  similar^’ 
treated,  and  tied  in  to  furnish  a  pyramid  as  perfect  as  possible. 
Repotting. 
In  repotting  keep  the  soil  rather  low  in  the  pots,  and  when  the  pots 
are  filled  with  roots  top-dressing  and  mulching  can  begin.  The  roots 
always  come  up.  and  must  be  both  fed  and  protected,  Large  pots  are 
not  advisable.  In  such  soil  a9  I  have  recommended,  and  such  manure  be 
applied  as  advised,  plants  from  6  to  7  feet  high,  half  covering  the  pot,  and 
3  to  4  feet  through  at  the  base,  may  be  grown  in  robust  health  in  10-inch 
pots.  They  must  never  once  become  dry.  By  continually  syringing, 
occasionally  putting  a  little  soft*oipin  the  water,  green  fly  and  red  spider 
will  never  he  seen,  and  by  judicious  shading  the  flowering  period  may  he 
kept  up  for  months.  If  urine  is  thought  objectionable  because  of  the 
smell,  nitrate  of  potash  will  make  a  capital  substitute,  better  than  sulphate 
of  ammonia.  Fuchsias  so  fed  may  be  kept  in  good  health  for  years  in 
the  same  pot-.  But  we  can  do  better  ;  we  can  repot  them  and  give  them 
fresh  sod,  which  acts  like  a  charm. 
Fuchsias  grown  in  the  liberal  way  here  recommended  require  a  check 
in  October.  A  proper  drving-up  accomplishes  this  or  a  touch  of  frost 
will  do  ir.  T tie  frost  is  danger  ius  :  the  drying  gives  acheek  that  weakens 
much.  It  is  successful,  though.  The  sap  goes  out  of  the  branches,  they 
n^e  pruned,  and  in  a  month  or  two  push  again,  though  very  weakly. 
The  drying  killed  the  roots,  and  only  slowly  the  plants  recovered.  But 
they  are  in  that  way  when  they  are  shaken  out  of  their  pots,  root-pruned, 
and  repotted.  A  check  follows  a  check,  both  unnatural,  dead  branches, 
loeble  growths,  and  eyesores  being  the  result.  A  bettor  way  is  in  autumn 
to  pinch  all  growing  shoots,  then  a  week  after  to  turn  the  plants  out  of 
the  pots,  reduce  the  balL,  and  repot.  The  soil  is  kept  moderately  moist. 
Under  this  treatment  the  tops  grow  no  more.  The  leaves,  instead  of 
falling  desiccated  and  dried  to  death,  ripen  off,  and  deliver  their  essence 
to  the  stems,  which,  instead  of  being  sent  to  rest  unprovided  with  a  store 
to  start  the  plant  in  spring,  nre  .stored  full.  The  roots,  instead  of  being 
dead,  grow  into  the  new  soil,  and  in  thus  growing  take  off  the  surplus 
energy  of  a  plant  eager  to  advance.  Such  a  plant  not  only  starts  with  very 
much  greater  energy  in  spring,  but  gets  no  check  afterwards,  and  instead 
of  dead  shouts  and  paltry  growihs,  becomes  a  huge  shrub  or  small  tree. 
Space  forbids  particulars  ahost  pruning,  training,  and  routine  treat¬ 
ment.  But  I  have  pointed  out  the  points  where  would-be  Fuchsia  growers 
err.  The  suit,  potting,  feedirg,  repotting,  and  root-pruning  are  the 
salient  point®,  and  when  these  are  rightly  attended  to  training  and  pruning 
are  secondary  points  that  the  judgment  alone  can  guide  in. — Id. 
SEASONABLE  NOTES  on  FIGS  UNDER  GLASS. 
The  earliest  trees  in  pots — a  very  desirable  mode  of  securing  fruit 
mirh  appreciated  at  dessert  during  April  onward — may  be  placed  out¬ 
doors  if  the  wood  be  ripe  ;  but  if  there  is  anv  doubt  about  this,  the  trees 
must  be  continued  under  glass  with  a  free  circulation  of  air.  These  are 
matters  on  which  the  cultivator  must  exercise  judgment.  In  either  case 
encourage  surface  roots  by  a  top-dressing  of  rough  loam  and  manure, 
with  a  sprinkling  of  superphosphate  occasionally,  for  fruit  next  year  is 
proportionate  to  the  matter  stored  in  the  trees  this  season.  Those  placed 
outdoors  must  not  he  allowed  to  root  from  the  base  of  the  pots.  Cut  off 
all  such  roots,  top-dress,  after  which  give  a  good  watering,  and  they  will 
need  no  more  water  at  the  roots  than  sufficient  to  keep  the  foliage  in  health. 
In  the  house  of  planted-out  trees  started  at  the  new  year,  and  borne 
two  crops  of  fruit — one  in  May  and  June,  and  the  other  in  August  and 
September — the  wood  will  now  be  ripening,  and  the  supply  of  water  may 
be  diminished  or  discontinued,  air  being  given  very  liberally.  D,  how¬ 
ever,  the  second  crop  is  not  yet  ripened,  moderate  moisture  in  the  soil  will 
be  necessary,  with  a  rnther  free  circulation  of  warm  air  to  insure  high 
quality  in  the  fruit.  When  the  fruit  is  gathered  take  prompt  measures 
to  destroy  insects,  syringing  \v  th  water  forcibly  at  BIO1  to  1 35°  to  dislodge 
and  kill  red  spider,  and  also  have  a  good  effect  on  brown  scale.  This 
may  be  annihilated  by  treating  the  affected  parts  with  a  brush  just 
moistened  in  methylated  spirit,  even  the  small  Fig  scale. 
The  fruit  of  trees  in  cool  hous°s  are  particularly  fine,  and  the  second 
crop  is  likely  to  ripen.  If  any  are  left  with  this  object  it  should  be  at  the 
base  of  the  current  growth,  removing  those  from  the  points  of  the  shoots. 
The  great  point  is  to  keep  the  growths  thin  and  the  roots  restricted,  so 
as  to  secure  short-jointed,  well-ripened  wood.  Keep  up  a  circulation  of 
air,  expose  the  fruit  as  much  as  possible-  to  the  sun,  and  keep  the  trees 
free  from  red  spider  by  forcible  syringing  after  closely  picking  the  fruit. 
Planted-out  trees  often  grow  rampantly,  and  produce  scanty  crops. 
Such  trees  may  have  a  trench  taken  out,  at  3  to  4  feet  distance  from  the 
stem,  a'ter  the  fruit  is  gathered,  which  by  cutting  off  the  roots  down  to 
the  drainage  will  give  a  sudden  check,  fatal  to  late  growth,  but  assisting 
the  ripening  of  the  wood  and  the  formation  of  Fig-buds  in  the  joints  of 
the  shoots,  these  being  allowed  to  grow  up  to  the  light  instead  of  being 
closely  tied  in.  When  the  leaves  are  about  to  fall  lilt  the  trees  carefully, 
and  replant  in  fresh  soil,  over  a  foot  of  clean  rubble  for  drainage.  Good 
loam,  with  a  sixth  of  old  mortar  rubbish,  and  a  similar  proportion  of  road 
scrapings,  will  grow  Figs  to  perfection.  A  border  24  inches  deep  suffices, 
and  it  need  not  he  more  than  one -third  the  width  or  height  of  the  trellis. 
Let  it  be  firm,  then  the  trees,  other  conditions  being  favourable,  will 
produce  excellent  Figs,  instead  of  little  beyond  leaves  and  wood. — 
Grower. 
An  Eccentric  Cucumber.  —  A  remarkable  Cucumber  has  been 
grown  at  North  Rise,  Darlington,  the  residence  of  Mr.  E.  D.  Walker. 
It  is  a  twin  Cucumber,  one  growing  inside  the  curve  of  the  other  from 
the  same  stem,  whilst  both  are  of  perfect  shape.  Although  there  have 
been  many  eccentric  Cucumbers,  people  who  have  seen  thousands  grown 
I  say  they  have  never  inspected  one  like  the  present  specimen. 
