G6 THE GARDENER. [Feb. 



tion to that country I am unable to say. Some people credit a German named 

 Dalil (a botanist) with the meritorious service. But I am not going to attempt 

 its history, l)ut to describe its culture. 



PropcKjation. — In referring to the different modes by which the Dahlia is 

 multiplied, we will first describe that of propagation by cuttings taken from 

 the roots of the previous year's plants. Those roots, whether they have been 

 wintered in a stable-loft, a dry-room, below the greenhouse stage, or in any 

 other convenient place, should now (Feb .1) be in a proper condition for 

 starting into fresh growths. So it is taken for granted that the intending 

 cultivator has already i)repared a nice sweetened hotbed with sufficient heat, 

 without any rank steam rising from the bed. First cover this bed with a few 

 inches of equal parts sand and loaf-mould or tan, or even light garden soil. 

 Allow this fresh surface to get warmed, then test its heat by plunging a ther- 

 mometer into it for a night ; and should it indicate no higher,' than 85'', the 

 roots may be placed on the surface, and a sprinkling of sand thrown over the 

 tubers merely to fill up the crevices. Attach all the names to the respective 

 roots, and stand them, bottom down, closely together on the bed before pro- 

 ceeding to cover any of them. The frame should be tightly glazed, so that no 

 water falls amongst the roots to cause rot ; but rather endeavour to keep the 

 inside of the frame rather dry, admitting air on every favourable occasion, 

 but not too abundantly. Shoots will soon be forthcoming, and they should 

 be taken off when they are about 3 inches long, and potted singly in sand 

 and leaf-mould in thumb-pots, or in larger-sized pots in threes or fours, around 

 the edge of the pots. Moisten the soil after completing the operation as 

 quickly as possible, for it is a bad plan to allow the shoots to flag while in 

 the act of preparing cuttings. All propagators can tell that nothing is worse 

 for any cutting than to allow it to flag : indeed, were it possible to have the 

 operation done in the time it takes to think over it, ninety per cent of the 

 cuttings would never flag ; but many of them do flag to rise no more. In 

 making cuttings, one more caution— see that the knife has an edge of razor 

 keenness ; cut the cuttings across directly below the joint in the solid. Plunge 

 the pots to their rirns into gentle bottom-heat, and keep them moist, prevent- 

 ing flagging by shading and keeping the frame rather close. When they have 

 struck roots, they should then be potted singly into 4-inch pots in rich loamy 

 soil, well draining the jjots. Put them back into heat until they get estab- 

 lished ; then they may be at once transferred to cold frames to harden, being 

 strictly watchful that frost never reaches them under any condition. 



By a constant routine of airing, covering to protect from frost, and attentive- 

 ness as regards watering, the plants will be quite ready to be fully exposed 

 without the lights in the last week of May ; and early in June they may be 

 planted out where they are to flower in summer and autumn. 



Another mode of propagating is to take young shoots from the branches 

 during summer, strike them in smart bottom-heat singly, in small pots, afford 

 the necessary protection from frost while winter lasts, and plunge them into 

 moderate heat in spring. Ptemove all but one stem, and when sufficiently 

 strong give a larger shift to those which push away strongly. 



There is also practised a method of propagation by means of division of the 

 roots. This is accomplished simply by splitting the roots into as many portions 

 as there are stems. Those divisions are at once potted into whatever pots their 

 individual dimensions require, and then put back into the frame like the others 

 until established. Grafting is also sometimes resorted to with scarce and bad- 



