FEBRUARY. 49 



suckers, which are difficult to keep down, and prevent the plants 

 thriving. I find likewise they never make good specimens. I shall 

 be glad if you can explain the reason of this innovation on the nursery- 

 trade. For myself, I mean, except in very few cases, to return in 

 future any grafted plants which may be sent me, as useless for 

 growing. 



Berks, January 5, 1855. J. M., M.A. 



[We must admit our correspondent has fair cause for complaint, for 

 grafted plants are alarmingly on the increase in many of the London 

 nurseries. Camellias, Azaleas, and some Rhododendrons cannot be 

 propagated without grafting or inarching, and make better plants when 

 so worked ; but with many other plants, some of which our corre- 

 spondent alludes to, it is a bad though quick way of getting up a sale- 

 able plant, and specimen growers carefully avoid purchasing such. We 

 may notice the very beautiful specimen pot Roses, which are seen at 

 the great exhibitions, and which are all, we believe, on their own bot- 

 toms, as a proof.' The practice has been adopted from the continental 

 nurseries, but we are sure purchasers will much prefer plants growing 

 on their own bottoms, even if they pay a trifle more money for them 

 than worked plants. J. S. — Ed.J 



THE FORTHCOMING NEW DAHLIAS. 



" Nothing extenuate, 

 " Nor set down aught in malice." 



In discoursing of the Dahlia I am too sensible of having engrossed a 

 large portion of valuable space in the last two numbers of the Florist. 

 It is not without some hesitation I venture to protract the subject : still 

 I feel it incumbent on me to complete the task I have voluntarily taken 

 in hand. Hitherto my observations have been confined exclusively to 

 the ]Mst ; the present of the Dahlia grower is somewhat of a blank ; but 

 with him — as with all of mortal mould — " Hope springs eternal :" and 

 there yet remains the future, on which he may and will speculate. 

 In our review — I say our, gentle reader, because I would fain hope you 

 and I have been travelling together in no ungenial companionship ; 

 but deem not, I entreat you, that I aspire to wield the thunderbolts 

 implied by the awful editorial pronoun. In our review (let me repeat) 

 of the past Dahlia season, we have limited ourselves to the consideration 

 of those varieties with which we have established, through the medium 

 of an acquaintance of more or less duration, a certain degree of intimac}''. 

 Now, although old friends are not to be lightly discarded for new, we 

 should not altogether overlook the claims of the rising generation. 

 We may and perhaps ought, at first, to be somewhat chary of our 

 confidence ; but it would be unfair if we were wilfully blind either to 

 their merits or demerits : nor should we withhold the " word in season," 

 be it oi encouragement, of commendation, or — if need be — of reproof. 



I now propose to enter upon what would doubtless prove both a 



NEW SERIES, VOL. V. KO. L. E 



