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THE CULTURE OF THE DAHLIA 



ties. In its natural state it is single, or 

 only semi-double ; but the combined ef- 

 forts of florists, through a series of genera- 

 tions, have been eminently successful, and 

 have so altered the form and whole appear- 

 ance that we now gaze with wonder upon 

 its symmetry and brilliance. 



As there are certain criteria by which 

 the florist is guided in deciding the rela- 

 tive good properties and excellence of 

 flowers, it may be well to mention that in 

 the Dahlia, the plant should be of free and 

 healthy growth, stiff and bushy habit, — 

 growing from two to five feet high. The 

 flower should be supported upon a strong 

 footstalk, and rise above the foliage, form- 

 ing, in its general outline, a half globe, 

 with the eye not sunken. The petals 

 should be solid in texture, and incurved, 

 but not so much as to show the back, with 

 the ends nicely rounded, not pointed, and 

 regularly placed, so as to form a perfect 

 imbrication. The colour bright and clear ; 

 if pani-coloured, the markings should be 

 well defined and regular. The Dahlia may 

 be propagated by seed, offsets from the 

 root, or by cuttings. 



Propagation from Seed. — It is little use 

 to resort to this method of increase, except 

 when new varieties are required ; and in 

 order to get new, and at the same time 

 improved sorts, it is necessary that some 

 care should be taken in crossing and saving 

 seed. This is indispensably necessary to 

 insure success. Fifty plants from seed, 

 carefully hybridized, will bring more good 

 sorts than a thousand neglected ones. In 

 saving seed, select two kinds, possessing 

 first rate properties, and between which, 

 in colour, &c, it is wished to have a cross ; 

 then, with a camel hair pencil, take the 

 farina or yellow dust of one, and place it 

 upon the stigma, or little yellow thread in 

 the centre, at the core of the petal of the 



other; and choose the best formed petals. 

 Remember that the progeny is generally 

 disposed to retain the constitutional fea- 

 tures of the one made into the mother, (if 

 I may be allowed the expression,) while 

 the markings and colouring of the father 

 generally prevail. This I have found in 

 practice to be almost an universal rule ; 

 and as no flourish of physiological theory 

 is here needed, I only state what may give 

 satisfaction and pleasure to those who wish 

 to embark upon the florist's boundless ocean, 

 which is not yet half explored. About the 

 middle of February the seeds may be 

 sowed in pans in a hot-bed, or hot-house. 

 When the first rough leaves are formed, 

 they may be pricked out singly into small 

 pots, and kept in the same temperature till 

 they have grown about five or six inches, 

 when they should be removed into a cool 

 airy apartment, which will cause them to 

 become stocky and strong. About the 

 middle of May, when all danger of spring 

 frosts are over, they may be planted out, 

 and treated in the same way as the general 

 stock. They will flower the same season, 

 when all the worthless ones can be re- 

 jected, and the rest retained. It is well to 

 keep any that show signs of goodness, 

 though perhaps not up to the standard ; as 

 sometimes, the following season, these may 

 come out better than expected. 



Propagation by Offsets from the Root. — 

 This is performed by dividing the root ; 

 care being taken, that with every division 

 there is one or more eyes, (which are 

 placed around the base of the stem, or up- 

 per end of the tubers,) left to the tuber 

 taken off. These may be planted out in 

 the open ground about the latter part of 

 April, or beginning of May. Recollect 

 that the more the Dahlia can be kept back in 

 the spring, in this climate, the dwarfer it will 

 be in autumn, and the better it will bloom. 



