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Fuchsias are among the most ornamental and popular of the cool greenhouse flowering plants. They may also be used in summer as bedding plants, and they are among the very few flowering plants that will bloom in the shade. If fair-sized specimen plants in 10- or 12-inch pots are desired, the best time to root them is the end of August. The best cuttings are secured from suckers that start from the base of the plants that are bedded out. The cutting should be 3 inches in length, and if the intention is to grow large specimens, pot them singly in 2-inch pots, in three parts sand, one part loam, and another of leaf-mold. Place the cuttings when potted in a shady position in a temperature of not less than 60° at night. When the very small plants are well rooted, shift them along into a pot 2 inches larger, using this time a compost of equal parts of loam, leaf-mold, and sand and add a third part of well-rotted manure. In this size of pot, the shoot will have made four or five joints, and should now be pinched to encourage side breaks. The plant, where it is stopped, will start into two breaks, and the strongest should be taken for a leader; pinch the weaker one when two leaves are well formed. Strict attention from now on should be paid to keep the plants in good shape. The side shoots must be kept in bounds, so that the symmetry of the plant is preserved, pinching "the stronger ones hard and allowing the weaker to grow a little longer so that they gain more vigor. The leader may be allowed to make six pairs of leaves, and then be stopped, always choosing the strongest breaks to increase the height of the plant. Potting should be strictly attended to, never allowing the plant to form a mat of roots around the ball before it gets a shift into a larger pot. The potting material for all future pottings may be composed of two parts good fibrous loam, with an equal amount of well-rotted horse-manure, one part flaky leaves, and one part sharp sand. The whole should be as rough as can be conveniently used when working it equally around the ball of the plant, in the potting operation. It is necessary to have a good straight stake down the center of the plant to support it in an upright position. When the plant is well established in the pot in which it is desired to flower it, manure waterings will be in order, as these plants are gross feeders when in active growth. Green cow-manure, fertilizers, and soot secured from soft coals agree well with fuchsias. The amount to be used is an ordinary handful to two and a half gallons of water. Water twice in between with clean water. Give the last pinch to the plants about six weeks before they are desired to be in full flower.—For bedding-out purposes, cuttings may be rooted in the spring, and grown on into 5- or 6-inch pots. Old plants may be kept through the winter, in a cool light pit, from which frost is kept. Keep them rather dry during October, November, and December, only giving enough water to maintain the wood plump. In January they may be removed to a temperature of 50° by night, allowing a rise of 10° or 15° during the day. This temperature, by the way, is most suitable for fuchsias after they are rooted until they come in flower. After it is seen where all the live eyes are on the old plants, trim them into shape, and remove all the dead wood. Turn them out of the pots, and remove all the loose dirt from the ball with a hose with a gentle pressure of water on it. They may be potted in the same size of pot, and when well rooted in that, give them a shift two sizes larger. Pinch the plants two or three times during the winter, and one will be rewarded with better plants the second year than the first. If well attended to every year, fuchsias may be kept for many years, attaining an enormous size. Fumigate with hydrocyanic gas, during winter, and that, with syringings on all bright days, until they come in flower, will keep down insect pests. (George F. Stewart.)
 
Fuchsias are among the most ornamental and popular of the cool greenhouse flowering plants. They may also be used in summer as bedding plants, and they are among the very few flowering plants that will bloom in the shade. If fair-sized specimen plants in 10- or 12-inch pots are desired, the best time to root them is the end of August. The best cuttings are secured from suckers that start from the base of the plants that are bedded out. The cutting should be 3 inches in length, and if the intention is to grow large specimens, pot them singly in 2-inch pots, in three parts sand, one part loam, and another of leaf-mold. Place the cuttings when potted in a shady position in a temperature of not less than 60° at night. When the very small plants are well rooted, shift them along into a pot 2 inches larger, using this time a compost of equal parts of loam, leaf-mold, and sand and add a third part of well-rotted manure. In this size of pot, the shoot will have made four or five joints, and should now be pinched to encourage side breaks. The plant, where it is stopped, will start into two breaks, and the strongest should be taken for a leader; pinch the weaker one when two leaves are well formed. Strict attention from now on should be paid to keep the plants in good shape. The side shoots must be kept in bounds, so that the symmetry of the plant is preserved, pinching "the stronger ones hard and allowing the weaker to grow a little longer so that they gain more vigor. The leader may be allowed to make six pairs of leaves, and then be stopped, always choosing the strongest breaks to increase the height of the plant. Potting should be strictly attended to, never allowing the plant to form a mat of roots around the ball before it gets a shift into a larger pot. The potting material for all future pottings may be composed of two parts good fibrous loam, with an equal amount of well-rotted horse-manure, one part flaky leaves, and one part sharp sand. The whole should be as rough as can be conveniently used when working it equally around the ball of the plant, in the potting operation. It is necessary to have a good straight stake down the center of the plant to support it in an upright position. When the plant is well established in the pot in which it is desired to flower it, manure waterings will be in order, as these plants are gross feeders when in active growth. Green cow-manure, fertilizers, and soot secured from soft coals agree well with fuchsias. The amount to be used is an ordinary handful to two and a half gallons of water. Water twice in between with clean water. Give the last pinch to the plants about six weeks before they are desired to be in full flower.—For bedding-out purposes, cuttings may be rooted in the spring, and grown on into 5- or 6-inch pots. Old plants may be kept through the winter, in a cool light pit, from which frost is kept. Keep them rather dry during October, November, and December, only giving enough water to maintain the wood plump. In January they may be removed to a temperature of 50° by night, allowing a rise of 10° or 15° during the day. This temperature, by the way, is most suitable for fuchsias after they are rooted until they come in flower. After it is seen where all the live eyes are on the old plants, trim them into shape, and remove all the dead wood. Turn them out of the pots, and remove all the loose dirt from the ball with a hose with a gentle pressure of water on it. They may be potted in the same size of pot, and when well rooted in that, give them a shift two sizes larger. Pinch the plants two or three times during the winter, and one will be rewarded with better plants the second year than the first. If well attended to every year, fuchsias may be kept for many years, attaining an enormous size. Fumigate with hydrocyanic gas, during winter, and that, with syringings on all bright days, until they come in flower, will keep down insect pests. (George F. Stewart.)
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Species not known to be in the American trade are: F. ampliata Benth. Fls. large, scarlet, long-tubed, drooping. Colombia. B.M. 6839.— F. bacillaris. Lindl. Compact, with short-jointed branches: fls., very small, flaring-mouthed, rosy, drooping. Mex. B.H. 1480. — F. cordifolia, Benth. Fls. 2 in. long, slender, drooping, hairy, red, on very long pedicels. Mex. B.R. 27:70. — F. dominitina, Hort. Garden hybrid with long drooping red fls. of the speciosa type. F.S. 10:1004. — F. excorticata, Linn. f. Shrub or small tree of New Zeal., reaching 40 ft. high and the trunk sometimes 2-3 It. diam., the bark thin, papery and loose: lvs. alternate, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, entire or nearly so: fls. 1 ¼ in. or less long, solitary and drooping, trimorphic. B.R. 857. — F. macrantha, Hook. Largest-fld. fuchsia; 4-6 in. long, pink-red, in large, drooping clusters. Colombia, Peru. B.M. 4233.— F. microphylla, HBK. Dwarf, small-lvd., with deep red, small axillary, drooping fls.: pretty. Mex. B.R. 1269. — f. serratifolia, Ruiz 4 Pav. Fls. long-tubod, speciosa-like, on drooping pedicels from the axils of the whorled lvs., pink with greenish tinge: handsome. Peru. B.M. 4174. — F. simplicicaulis, Ruiz A Pav. Lvs. usually in 3's, entire: fls. crimson, long and slender-tubed, in drooping clusters: resembles F. corymbifera. Peru. B.M. 5096.— F. thymifolia, H.B.K. To 6 ft.: [vs. small, opposite or nearly so, ovate or roundish, downy above: 9s. red, on axillary pedicels, the petals obovate and undulate. Mex. B-R- 1284.
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L. H. B.
 
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