530 CULTIVATION OF THE DAHLIA* 



those which had been plunger! in their pots were taken np 



and removed into the greenhouse, behind other plants: the 



two in the ground, after cutting down their stems to about 



a foot and a half in length, and removing 1 he frozen crust of 



earth, were protected With a covering of moss and fern about 



six inches thick. 



Management " '" 1807, the greenhouse plants were removed into the 



thekecond open air so earlv as the -JTth of April, and the dahlias at 



vear. M . ■ . . . ., 



ttie same time just beginning to push were turned out oi 



the pots, and planted in very different parts of the garden, 

 as well as in ?ery different soils. Having observed the pre- 

 ceding year, that those which had been confined in the 

 smallest pots and poorest earth not only flowered the ear- 

 liest, but made to a gardener's eye the handsomest plants, 

 being only from 5 to 6 feet high, with scarcely any branches, 

 and panicles of from 7 to 13 flowers; I ordered some of 

 them, to be placed in pure gravel from which all the larger 

 stones had been screened, others in a dry seam of sand which 

 crossed the garden, and others again in rich earth ; they 

 were all supplied with water however during the dry part of 

 Seedling the summer. Beside these, a uumber of seedling plants 



* were distributed at random in different gardens; and what 



gave me no little satisfaction, I observed in June, near the 

 large plant of all, a cluster of young seedlings coming u*p 

 from a head which had been supposed rotten, and dug into 

 Flourished the border at its winter cleaning. The result in autumn was 



best m screen- similar to that of the former year, but with a still more* 



ed gravel. * * 



. decided advantage to the plant in screened gravel. Oue of 



these expanded its first flower the 19th of August, and its 

 last the 27th of September ; all the seeds ripening perfectly : 

 being the dark purple variety f, and planted singly in the 

 middle of an open grass plat, it attracted far more atten- 

 tion than the venerable ch^inyts, magnolias, Cembra pines,* 

 cedars, and ci/pres-es,, rV-i.ets of Peter Collison's labour, 

 which surrounded it. The largest plant of all, against the 

 south eaat side of .the house, in rich earth, had not opened a 

 single flower on the 14th of October, when I left the place; 

 bnt though plants at Holland House, as well as in Messrs. 

 Lee and Kenuedy's garden at Hammersmith, had then been 

 already blasted by the frosty nights, 1 understand it remain- 

 ed 



