The Fuchsia is decidedly the most _graceful_ flower in the world. It
unfortunately wants fragrance or it would be the _beau ideal_ of a
favorite of Flora. There is a story about its first introduction into
England which is worth reprinting here:
'Old Mr. Lee, a nurseryman and gardener, near London, well known fifty
or sixty years ago, was one day showing his variegated treasures to a
friend, who suddenly turned to him, and declared, 'Well, you have not in
your collection a prettier flower than I saw this morning at
Wapping!'--'No! and pray what was this phoenix like?' 'Why, the plant
was elegant, and the flowers hung in rows like tassels from the pendant
branches; their colour the richest crimson; in the centre a fold of deep
purple,' and so forth. Particular directions being demanded and given,
Mr. Lee posted off to Wapping, where he at once perceived that the plant
was new in this part of the world. He saw and admired. Entering the
house, he said, 'My good woman, that is a nice plant. I should like to
buy it.'--'I could not sell it for any money, for it was brought me from
the West Indies by my husband, who has now left again, and I must keep
it for his sake.'--'But I must have it!'--'No sir!'--'Here,' emptying
his pockets; 'here are gold, silver, copper.' (His stock was something
more than eight guineas.)--'Well a-day! but this is a power of money,
sure and sure.'--''Tis yours, and the plant is mine; and, my good dame,
you shall have one of the first young ones I rear, to keep for your
husband's sake,'--'Alack, alack!'--'You shall.' A coach was called, in
which was safely deposited our florist and his seemingly dear purchase.
His first work was to pull off and utterly destroy every vestige of
blossom and bud. The plant was divided into cuttings, which were forced
in bark beds and hotbeds; were redivided and subdivided. Every effort
was used to multiply it. By the commencement of the next flowering
season, Mr. Lee was the delighted possessor of 300 Fuchsia plants, all
giving promise of blossom. The two which opened first were removed into
his show-house. A lady came:--'Why, Mr. Lee, my dear Mr. Lee, where did
you get this charming flower?'--'Hem! 'tis a new thing, my lady; pretty,
is it not?'--'Pretty! 'tis lovely. Its price?'--'A guinea: thank your
ladyship;' and one of the plants stood proudly in her ladyship's
boudoir. 'My dear Charlotte, where did you get?' &c.--'Oh! 'tis a new
thing; I saw it at old Lee's; pretty, is it not?'--'Pretty! 'tis
beautiful! Its price!'--'A guinea; there was another left.' The
visitor's horses smoked off to the suburb; a third flowering plant stood
on the spot whence the first had been taken. The second guinea was paid,
and the second chosen Fuchsia adorned the drawing-room of her second
ladyship The scene was repeated, as new-comers saw and were attracted by
the beauty of the plant. New chariots flew to the gates of old Lee's
nursery-ground. Two Fuchsias, young, graceful and bursting into healthy
flower, were constantly seen on the same spot in his repository. He
neglected not to gladden the faithful sailor's wife by the promised
gift; but, ere the flower season closed, 300 golden guineas clinked in
his purse, the produce of the single shrub of the widow of Wapping; the
reward of the taste, decision, skill, and perseverance of old Mr. Lee.'
Whether this story about the fuchsia, be only partly fact and partly
fiction I shall not pretend to determine; but the best authorities
acknowledge that Mr. Lee, one of the founders of the Hammersmith
Nursery, was the first to make the plant generally known in England and
that he for some time got a guinea for each of the cuttings. The fuchsia
is a native of Mexico and Chili. I believe that most of the plants of
this genus introduced into India have flourished for a brief period and
then sickened and died.
The poets of England have not yet sung the Fuschia's praise. Here are
three stanzas written for a gentleman who had been presented, by the
lady of his love with a superb plant of this kind.