THE DAHLIA. 



And Nature's face is all sublime, 



And beauty clothes the fragrant air, 



The Dahlia will each glory wear. 

 With tints as bright and leaves as green; 

 And winter, in his savage mien. 



May breathe forth storm, — yet she will bear 

 With all : and in the summer ray. 

 With blossoms deck the brow of day." 



The Dahlia needs but little care after planting, yielding 

 an abundance of flowers ; but the amateur who has a genuine 

 taste for beauty in his favourites, will, if he can possibly 

 devote the necessary time to such a purpose, so train his 

 plants, and reduce the number of their incipient bloom, 

 as to produce the finest flowers which they are capable 

 of bearing. And in so doing he will realize an enhanced 

 pleasure in their possession, when like Longfellow's Ser 

 Frederigo, he may 



" Among the Dahlias in the garden walk 

 Have left his guests;" 



not fearing that they will complain of his negligence, in 

 his absence, in the management of his parterre. On 

 the contrary, when he shall have returned he will receive 

 their gratulations on the beauty of his flowers, and on the 

 rich reward he has secured in such a charming display of 

 lasting bloom. 



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