210 



THE CULTURE OF THE DAHLIA. 



low freedom of air and light. After plant- 

 ing give a good soaking of water to each 

 plant, and cover the surface over two or 

 three inches with rotted manure, which 

 will prevent the sun's scorching rays dry- 

 in^ up the moisture, and keep the soil in a 

 more equable temperature. Attend care- 

 fully to watering in dry weather ; little and 

 often is of no use ; one good soaking is 

 worth twenty sprinklings. Nothing more 

 is now required but occasionally tying the 

 branches to the stakes as they progress in 

 growth, but do not bundle them together ; 

 all that is required, is to prevent them 

 breaking down. The flowers are wonder- 

 fully improved if covered from the light, 

 which may be done in a variety of ways, 

 that will occur to any ingenious mind. 

 The best I have ever tried is with a square 

 board, having a hole near the side to slide 

 it down on to a stake, and a slit cut through 

 about midway from the opposite side. The 

 stalk of. the flower, just before expanding, 

 is drawn through the slit, which brings it 

 to the middle of the board, and the flower 

 on the upper side of it. It is now tied to 

 the stake, which keeps it firm ; and a 

 flower pot is inverted and placed upon the 

 board, which covers the flower. This is 

 necessary, if the highest point of perfection 

 is required in any individual flower; but 

 as it is not my wish to encourage the same 

 scarecrow appearance in this country, which 

 attends an enthusiastic Dahlia-grower's gar- 

 den in England, I merely mention the thing 

 en passant. 



This noble flower may be grown to great 

 perfection without it, by simply following 

 the above hints. It may be thought by 

 some that this is an extravagant plan, in- 

 curring much labor. To all such I would 

 say, only give my method a fair trial one 

 season, and you will no more go back to 

 your straight stem, tight tied, nine feet, 



grenadier looking plan ; for the Dahlia can 

 be grown to as great perfection, and be 

 kept quite as dwarf in this country as it is 

 in the old one, if the right means are 

 adopted. 



The following is a list of 50 of the best 

 kinds in cultivation : 



White or Blush 

 Marchioness of Cornwallis. (Whale's,) 

 Queen of Sheba, (Watkinson'B,) 



Empress of Whites, 

 Marchioness of Lorn, (Cutter's,) 

 Antagonist. (Bragg's.) 

 Optimus, (Widnall's.) 



Pink and Rose. 

 Felix, (Dnimmond's.) 

 Rose d'Amour, (Balteur's,) 

 Mrs. Shelly, 

 Lady Stoplord, (Trentfieid's.) 



Crimson and Purple. 

 Captain Warner, (Gilding's,) 

 Marquis of Aylesbury, (Sparry's,) 

 Minn, (Druinmond's,) 

 fir Edmund Antrobus, (Keyne's,) 

 Louis Phillipe, (Turner's.) 

 Standard of Perfection, (Keyne's,) 

 Caractaeus. 

 Pickwick, (Cormack's.) 



Scarlet and Red. 

 Shylock, (Collison's,) 

 Scarlet Gem, (Turner's,) 

 Beeswing, (Drummond's,) 

 Scarlet Unique, 

 Box, (Druminond's.) 



Orange and Yel'om. 

 Mirabeau, 



Cloth of Gold, (Edward's,) 

 Princess de Joinville, 

 Toison d'Or, (Batteur's,) 

 Hon. Mrs. Herbert, (Brown's.) 



Tipped and Shaded. 

 Andromeda, (Collison's,) 

 Conspicua, (Girling's,) 

 Delicata, 

 Gem, (Oakley's,) 

 Lady of the Lake, (Keyne's,) 

 Gloria Mundi, (Ileadly's,) 

 Lady Feathe.rstone, 

 Magician, (Turner's,) 

 Princess Radzi*vill, (Gaine's.) 



Maroon and Dark. 

 Admiral Stopford, (Trentfieid's,) 

 Queen of Gipsies, 

 I'erryer, (Turner's.) 

 Duke of Cambridge, (Wyness',) 

 Essex Triumph. 



Striped. 

 La Carnation, (Girling's,) 

 Roi des Pointes, 

 Fancy Boy, (Gaine's,) 

 Bicolor, 

 La Lione, 



Mr. George Clayton, (Bragg's,) 

 Madame Chauviere, 

 Meilley. 



I have the honor to be yours, most obe- 

 diently, Win. Chorlton,* 

 Gardener to J. C. Green, Esq., Staten Island. 



* An excellent article; and we shall be glad to hear from 

 Mr. C. again. Ed. 



