The Fuchsia, like the Pelargonium, may be called everybody's flower. Cottagers of every degree who have any love for flowers always endeavour to have a Fuchsia or two. We have seen them in cottagers' windows grown in all kinds of substitutes for flower-pots - old tea-pots, jam-pots, jugs, and preserved-meat tins. Sometimes the growers were rewarded with a few flowers, but very often had to be content with a few sickly-looking leaves. On the other hand, we have seen specimens grown and flowered in cottage windows that would have done no discredit to gardeners having every means of growing them at their command. Unless large specimen plants are wanted, it is not desirable to retain many old plants over the winter, at least for the purpose of greenhouse decoration; but many gardeners retain the whole of their old plants, and find accommodation for them in the flower-garden the following season, where they generally make a very effective display for centres of beds, or dotted along ribbon-borders.

A plant or two of each variety should be introduced into heat early in January, from which to get a stock of cuttings. As soon as the young shoots have attained to a sufficient size the cuttings may be taken off. Have some pots ready prepared, well drained, three-parts filled up with soil, and the remainder with sharp sand. The pots may be either of a size suitable for each variety, or large enough to contain two or more varieties, keeping them carefully labelled. Water them after being inserted, and plunge the pots up to the rim in a hotbed or propagating-pit. In about a fortnight they will be nicely rooted, and ready for potting off. They should be potted singly in 3-inch pots, using good fibry loam, leaf-mould, and a good sprinkling of sand to keep it open. One piece of crock over the hole will be sufficient for pots of this size. When potted, return them to the warm pit, hotbed, or vinery, where they may enjoy a temperature of 65° or so. It may be necessary to shade them slightly for a few days at first until they begin to root in the new soil. And now the mode of training must be decided upon. If they are wanted for pyramids or standards, the leader must be encouraged, and kept tied up to a stake.

If intended for a standard, the side shoots may be rubbed off as they appear, until the desired height be attained, when the point may be pinched out, and the formation of the head begun. If, on the other hand, pyramids be aimed at, the leader must also be kept staked up and side shoots encouraged, pinching the points occasionally to induce a bushy habit. Some of them however should be grown as dwarfs, and these should have the leader pinched when about 6 inches high, and the lateral shoots also as they require it.

They must be shifted into larger pots when the roots penetrate through the ball and reach the sides of the pot: 6-inch pots may be used for this shift, or a few of the stronger plants may be put into 8-inch pots. The compost for this shift may be of a rougher nature, and have the addition of some well-rotted dung mixed with it, as also a layer over the crocks. In potting, ram the soil moderately firm round about the ball. If potted loosely they never thrive well; the soil acts like a sponge in retaining too much water, which soon sours it. The plants must still be kept in heat, and unless wanted to bloom early, the flowers should be picked off as they appear. If large plants are wanted, they must be encouraged by further shifting into larger pots, and by August good large specimens may be grown.

A batch of cuttings may be put in six weeks or so later, to grow on for later flowering, and treated in all respects like the others. About the month of June they may be put into a cooler house, or even into cold pits, but kept away from cold draughts.

The old plants will come in nicely for early flowering, if after the cuttings are taken off they be partially shaken out and repotted into fresh soil, and will come in very useful in April or May, when the spring bulbs are past. The following list of a dozen varieties may be pretty well relied on as satisfactory, viz. - Admiration, Avalanche, Coma, Mrs Ballantyne, Arabella, Princess Beatrice, Marksman, Lord Beaconsfleld, Noblesse, Commander, Rose of Castile, Starlight.

J. G. W.