Talks About Flowers

ITS HISTORY AND CULTURE

THE Fuchsia was introduced into England in the latter half of the last century by a sailor, at whose home it was discovered by Mr. James Lee, a florist of Hammersmith, who secured the original plant by paying quite a sum of money for it, and in addition promising to give to the sailor's wife one of the first young plants he would succeed in raising. In a short time he succeeded in producing several hundred nice plants, nearly all of which were sold at a guinea each. Shortly after this a captain Firth presented one that he had brought from Chili to the Royal Garden at Kew. The plant was named in honor of Leonard Fuch, an eminent German Botanist, who lived in the 16th century. The varieties in cultivation to-day are vast improvements. One of the early varieties was called Fulgens. We recollect seeing this variety some four or five years ago, and could not refrain from comparing it with a number of varieties lately introduced. The flower may be described as follows: A slender crimson tube two inches in length; sepals narrow, one-half inch; in color a shade lighter than the tube; the corolla purple; in size very small compared with the varieties of the present time. This variety is a strong grower, large foliage which has a silvery appearance. Thus we can have a slight idea of that from which have been produced the beauties of our time; thus can we see what a skillful florist can do when he has something to begin with. Some of the varieties of the Fuchsia are hardy in England as well as in some parts of our own country. A traveler informs us that he has seen them in California trained over arbors and to the houses just as we train grape vines here, and growing most luxuriantly. They grow in favor very rapidly wherever introduced, and it was but a short time after they became known we find the Poet eulogizing them in these lines—

While some flowers have been extremely popular for a season, and then have sunk into comparative obscurity, the popularity of the Fuchsia has never waned, but on the contrary has continually been on the increase until now it occupies a prominent place in every collection of plants, be that collection large or small. There is a cause for this popularity, and that cause is, it is of easy culture and produces its flowers freely, often under adverse circumstances. The Fuchsia is readily propagated by cuttings of the young wood. These will root in from two to three weeks, when they should be potted in rich soil, say one-half garden soil or loam enriched with well-rotted manure, and one-half leaf soil, with a little sand added to make the compost very porous. From the time the plant is first potted it should never be allowed to become so dry as that the growth will be checked. The great secret of growing Fuchsias successfully is to keep them growing. In order to do this we must provide for them a rich soil, an abundance of pot-room and a moist atmosphere. If you wish to grow large specimen plants the cuttings should be struck (that is rooted), early in the season. This will allow a longer period for them in which to make their growth before the season for blooming arrives; by keeping the plants supplied with plenty of pot-room the time of blooming will be somewhat retarded, and if on the other hand we desire to have the plants in bloom as early as possible we allow plenty of pot-room during the early part of the growing season, after which we allow the pots to become pretty well filled with roots, and abundance of beautiful pendulous flowers will be the result.

As house or window plants the Fuchsias are very popular. The variety Speciosa will bloom very freely during the winter. During the summer months they should be protected from the direct rays of the sun, and kept well syringed. As bedding plants their utility is limited, as they must be planted in a shaded position. A bed of them in such a position makes a pleasant appearance, and in this way they are easily kept through the hottest part of the year. They may be bedded out, or may be allowed to remain in the pots and the pots plunged in the garden. In this latter way they will need additional care, as they must not be allowed to suffer for want of water. If it is desirable to keep the old plants another year they may be removed to the house or cellar, and kept cool and dry until toward spring, when they can be repotted in fresh soil, watered scantily, and started into growth and pruned or trained to any desired shape or form.—The Floral World.

The foregoing article so fully and clearly stated all that was essential respecting the culture of the Fuchsia, that we have transferred it entire instead of writing something original. We need now only add a few things respecting some choice varieties and recent novelties. "Champion of the World has the largest blooms of any Fuchsia; the tubes are short; sepals very broad and of great substance, well reflexed, and of a most beautiful coral red; the foot-stalk of each bloom is of unusual length and strength, so that each flower stands out bold and graceful. Corolla of immense size, and as it expands forms two-thirds of a perfect ball. Color is of the most intense bright dark purple. Free tall grower, and for conservatory decoration is one of the most remarkable Fuchsias for size ever yet sent out."—H. Cannell.

The illustration of this Fuchsia in Mr. Cannell's Floral Guide measures two and one-third inches in diameter, and yet we are told that when well grown, the Champion produces much larger bloom than the engraving. It has four rows of petals, and looks round and full like a pink. Bland's New Striped is of the single class, but the corolla is very large, of a rich plum-colored purple, regular and distinctly striped red and rose, pyramidal shape, habit strong.

Of the Hybrid variegated Fuchsias, Sunray is by far the best with red variegated leaves ever sent out; it is very ornamental. Pillar of Gold is a very showy variety with yellow leaves. Among the novelties in color, we find mention of Aurora Superba; tube and sepals rich salmon, corolla large and spreading of a distinct orange scarlet highly suffused with yellow, fine habit and free bloomer. Polyhymnia is a dwarf yellow.

Of Lord Beaconsfield, Mr. Cannell says: "One of the strongest and most conspicuous blooming varieties ever sent out, and one of the very best for sale and decoration; flowers neither good shape nor color, but produced in very large clusters and blooms nearly all the year if allowed plenty of root room."

This Fuchsia originated with Mr. John Laing, Stanstead Park Nursery, Forest Hill, near London, and is a cross between Fuchsia Fulgens and one of the modern varieties known as "Perfection." It was exhibited at some of the meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society first, as Laing's Hybrid, in 1875 or 1876. It much resembles the old Speciosa, but is more free blooming even than that, and its flowers are twice as large.

Kingsburyana, figured in Mr. Cannell's Floral Guide—which comes to us from Swanley, England—is very large and double. "It is another addition to the double white corolla class, and is remarkable for its fine vigorous growth and large showy flowers; its corolla is particularly novel and beautiful."

Mrs. H. Cannell, named for the florist's wife by Swaffield, its originator, "was one of the greatest lifts in bringing the double white corolla to perfection," and has given great satisfaction in this country. We have never seen one so beautiful, but Mr. C. E. Allen who has a large collection, including those rare gems from across the water, we have named, says: "Snow White is the very best double white Fuchsia ever sent out. A fine, erect grower, and a remarkably free and early bloomer. Sepals coral red. Superior to Miss Lucy Finnis in that it is of a stronger habit. Have none now in bloom." Among the fine specimen blooms of the dark purple type sent us by Mr. Allen, we think Elm City the gem for size, richness of color—a double dark purple striped with scarlet, sepals scarlet-crimson—and compact form. The Swanley Gem is of a peculiar shape, single, very open bell-shape corolla, "frilled" Mr. Cannell calls it, rose color with tube and sepals coral scarlet, the latter are very prettily reflexed.

We began our list with the Champion—the largest known—we will end it with the tiniest, Microphylla, the whole plant, flowers and leaves are Liliputian among the Fuchsias.

FUCHSIAS IN THE ISLE OF MAN

Here these are truly wonderful; they grow up the house fronts, and grow into large trees, so large that you can have a tea-party around the bole of the trees. They are also grown for hedges and kept nicely clipped, and with their bright green leaves and scarlet flowers look cheerful and refreshing. The winds and the spray from the sea do not in the least affect them.—The Garden.

Mr. Vick, in his Magazine says: "Once when in Europe, we saw at Ventnor, in the Isle of Wight, a Fuchsia tree, perhaps twenty feet or more in height, with a trunk full fifteen inches in diameter. The editor of the Flore des Serres of Belgium, in writing of this tree, says it is doubtless the largest specimen in Europe, but is only a baby compared with specimens the editor has seen in South America. Seeing our notice of this tree, Mr. Nicholls of Sharon Springs, N. Y., wrote us that he had "seen Fuchsias in the Isle of Jersey, in the English Channel, thirty feet in height, and there are hundreds there from twenty to twenty-five feet."

PROPAGATING FUCHSIAS

We have found the most effective method to be by placing the cuttings in a bottle of water, and keeping them in a sunny window, but the following method is said to be practiced by cottagers in the west of England: "In the autumn, after the frost has destroyed the foliage, the wood of the present season is cut off close to the ground and laid like a sheaf of corn in a trench a foot deep. The bundle is covered with a few inches of soil, and here it remains until spring, when a multitude of young shoots may be seen pushing their way through. The soil is then carefully moved, and with a sharp knife a cut is made each side of a joint, and the result is rooted plants enough for the parish. The old stool throws up more vigorously than before, to be served in the same way the following autumn."

BY ONE OF THEMSELVES

ONLY a few years ago, not one of the Coleus family had a place in the gardens of Europe and America, and I have been told that in our absence gardeners depended chiefly upon plants with showy flowers for ornamenting their gardens and grounds. When some of my remote relatives were introduced, numerous were the surmisings as to what place they should occupy amongst cultivated plants. This was especially so in the case of Perilla Nankinensis, a plant of most sombre hue, but so striking withal as to attract general attention. Some looked upon it as the forerunner of a class of plants destined to play an important part in the future, whilst others regarded it as a vile weed. Nevertheless, considerable attention was bestowed upon its cultivation for a time; but ultimately became so neglected as to be met with chiefly as a garden weed. This may have been owing in some measure to the introduction of Coleus Blumei, which species was regarded with greater favor, and at once took a place which it held fairly well for a time, or until he whose name I bear obtained from it varieties so novel and brilliant in color, as to entitle them to rank high amongst the time-honored favorites of the garden. From the most reliable information, I infer that this species at least is one of my immediate ancestors, and whether I owe as much of kinship to any other, has not been made known. But this I do know, from the day I was first introduced to the public, in my chocolate and violet colored suit until the present time, I have been praised as few plants have been. But being neither envious nor vain, I have desired the company of those whose colors are brighter than my own, as variety in harmony gives greater satisfaction than any one can singly bestow. Some of the older varieties are well fitted to produce this effect, and none more so, perhaps, than my old friends Aurea Marginata, and Golden Circle; but the majority of their class either lack expression, or are so delicately constituted as to become perfect "frights" when planted out of doors.

During my time, many varieties with excellent characters when in my company, have performed their parts but poorly, whilst others have had enough to do to keep up a doubtful reputation. It was with pleasure, therefore, I hailed the arrival of a fresh set from England a short time ago, headed by George Bunyard, who, with his companions were so highly spoken of, that I hoped one or more of them would prove of service to me. But this hope has not been realized, and to-day, for all of them, I am as destitute of support as I was before their arrival. Poor George, after being much in his company for a season, it is only fair to say, he performed his part so poorly that I hope, for the credit of both, we shall never meet again under similar circumstances.

What the incoming season may bring forth, yet remains to be seen, but at present the prospects are good for a grand display, as a new order of aspirants are being marshaled for duty, whose merits, some say, are such as to eclipse the old members of our family, and even take from me the honors I have enjoyed so long. Should their claim be well founded, I shall surrender my right to the first place without regret, and be even glad to take any subordinate place I may be deemed competent to fill. But should they fail to meet the expectations thus produced, it will be my duty to remain at my post until such time as new varieties are found, regarding whose merits there can be no doubt.

Be it understood that what has been said about my associates has reference only to them as bedders; for it is well known, many varieties when grown under glass, and partially shaded from the glare of sunshine, possess greater brilliancy and beauty than I lay claim to. For this reason, I think those so constituted as to require the protection of a green-house, should be sparingly, if at all, planted out of doors, and the outside department exclusively occupied by such as attain their greatest perfection in free air and the full tide of sunlight.

Before closing this monologue, I am forced to say a word in behalf of a plant seemingly possessed of extraordinary capacity for the work in which I excel. I refer to Acalypha Macaffeana, the leaves of which are large and finely formed; color, reddish-brown, and irregularly blotched with bright shades of crimson. When fully exposed to sunlight, it looks as if "on fire through all its length," and being much more stately than myself, might form the central figure in a group of Coleus or other plants with the greatest acceptance.—Verschaffeltii, in Gardeners Monthly.

We do not know who is the author of this very interesting autobiography of an old and popular Coleus. The florist for whom it was named, M. Nuytans Verschaffelt, was the adopted son of the late Jean Verschaffelt, of whose nursery near Ghent, he was the manager, and to which he succeeded on the death of the proprietor. M. Nuytans was a very distinguished and highly esteemed horticulturist; he was an active member of the Royal Agricultural and Botanical Society of Ghent and Chevalier of the Order of Philip the Magnanimous. He died June, 1880, in the forty-fourth year of his age.

There has been a remarkable progress in the development of the Coleus since the introduction of Blumei, but the two past years have been more distinguished than any previous ones by the originating of many new and beautiful hybrids. Pre-eminent among these are "Dreer's Set of Tri-colored Coleus," fifteen varieties; "Queensland Set," fifteen varieties, and "Queensland Set of Dwarfs," ten varieties. Mr. Henry A. Dreer says of them: "These varieties which it is a pleasure to offer, have originated in our nursery grounds during the past summer, were selected from perhaps six thousand seedlings excelling in point of color, variety, habit and novelty, and we feel safe in predicting for them a future that leaves nothing wanting in this class of plants."