TULTIVATION OF TI1K DAHLIA* ^^7 



the roots, the abundant foliage, and rapid expenditure of 

 «ap in these plants,, he concludes, that a strong but very 

 rich soil,' nearly ppch as orange trees delight in, will be 

 most suitable for them, with plenty of water in dry wea- 

 ther* Being ignorant of their particular locality in Mexico, 

 he doubts whether they will live through winter at Paris m 

 the open ground, giving his opinion in the negative, for the 

 following reasons: 1st, herbaceous plants so tall and tender 

 are seldom met with in high mouutains, the dominions of 

 winds, snows, and storms; -idly, these plants, when exposed 

 to a temperature of 7 or 8 degrees below zero, turn yellow 

 and sick ; 3dli/, they are late in beginning to vegetate, and 

 require a long protracted autumn to expand their flowers : 

 4thft/, their roots had been already killed at Paris, by a 

 frost of live degrees in one night. Notwithstanding this 

 unfavourable statement, Monsieur Thouin does not despair 

 of being able in time to change their habits, and acclimate 

 them in France: to this end, he proposes forwarding them 

 in spring with a little artificial heat, and wisely remarks, 

 that our days in summer being longer than in Mexico, a Longer days 



Sufficient maximum of heat to bring their flowers and seeds *q urgent to 



_ .-it • greater heat iti 



to perfection may thus he obtained; that thus barley, which vegetation. 



in the north of France requires six months to ripen it, in 

 Russia is often perfectly matured in forty days. He then 

 brings instances of two plants from the same country, the 

 marvel of Peru, aud long-Jloivered marvel of Peru, which, 

 though very tender when hri>t introduced, are now become 

 more hardy, the former especially often springing up in their 

 parterres from self-sown seeds. Lastly, he informs us, that Mode of pro- 

 all the dahlias may be increased by seeds, dividing their pagation, 

 roots, or even by cuttings of their stems, though that part 

 js annual; but seedling plants, he remarks, do not flower 

 the first year, and the memoir concludes with some general 

 remarks on the beauty, and ornament, which they will add 

 to our borders or conservatories, in autumn. 



The fifth author upon this genus, is Professor Willde- Willdenouw, 

 nouw, who in his Species Plantarum most unwarrantably 

 changes its name, under the pretext that another dahlia was 

 already established in dioecia ! This is so far from being 

 ttue, that the description of the Cape plant he alludes to, 

 * Q 2 by 



