DAHLIA. [Compositae.] The florists' varieties of this 

 flower require good rich soil, and a moist, open situation. 

 In this countr}', the plant is falling out of favor, and is by no 

 means as extensively grown as formerly ; the attention of 

 florists beinsf directed to Hollyhocks and Gladiolus. The 



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flower, though showy, has a set, rosette appearance, and is a 

 rank-smelling thing ; and in a small garden a hundred flow- 

 ers can be found any one of which will well fill its place. 

 For ordinary gardens, where no great increase is required, 

 the tubers may be placed in any warm situation — a hot-bed 

 for instance, or a warm kitchen or other apartment — about 

 the month of April, and in a few days the eyes, or incipient 

 shoot-buds, will appear ; then separate the tubers into as 

 many pieces as are wanted, with at least a sound eye and 

 tuber to each piece. These pieces may be potted, and placed 

 in the greenhouse or dwelling-house, or in a common frame, 

 or any place from which frost can be excluded, and they 

 will begin growing. In potting, the tubers may be freely 

 cut to lessen their size for the convenience of using moder- 

 ate sized pots. Those who want to increase their stock 

 considerably may pot the whole tubers, and put them in a 

 hot-bed, and as fast as any shoots come and have grown two 

 inches long, cut them off at the base, pot them singly in the 

 smallest sized pots, and put them in the hot-bed to strike. 

 Plants reared in either of these ways maybe put in the open 

 ground about the middle of May, in the places where they 

 are to flower. The plants should be six feet apart, and they 



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