THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



531 



habit than any other DahHa. The 

 bright-scarlet flowers are of the ordinary 

 size. 



D. imperialis has large and graceful 

 much-divided leaves, and flowers of a 

 beautiful French white, thrown up in 

 a great cone-like mass. It rarely flowers 

 in the open air, but it is of service both 

 in the flower garden and conservatory. 

 Planted in rich soil, and placed in a 



all the garden varieties. The wild plant 

 has scarlet flowers like coccinea, and is 

 of similar growth. A packet of seed, 

 however, will yield plants with flowers 

 of all shades, from crimson to white and 

 yellow. 



Culture. — To get a good result it is 

 essential to have rich, deep, and moist 

 soil, and to put out strong plants as early 

 as may be safe, so as to secure a good 



Cactus Dahlia "Juarezi." 



warm, sheltered position in the open air 

 at the end of May, it grows well in 

 summer, and its large and graceful leaves 

 make it an ornament worthy of being 

 used as a " fine-foliaged " plant. Similar 

 to this, but not so fine, is D. Maxi- 

 miliana. 



D. Juarezi is now well known. It is 

 the more desirable because of its easy 

 culture, as it requires no different treat- 

 ment from ordinary Dahlias. It is not 

 quite double, but is very fine in form and 

 brilliant in colour, though it flowers some- 

 what sparsely. 



D. variabilis is the supposed parent of 



growth or autumn bloom. Where weak 

 plants are put a little too late they may 

 only give a few poor blooms before the 

 frost comes. If planted in May and 

 frost is feared, protect the young plants 

 at night by turning a garden pot over 

 them. If the soil is not deep, rich, and 

 moist, manure-water should be used. 

 Watering is usually necessary in early 

 growth, afterwards it is not so in moist 

 districts where the plant is well treated 

 as regards depth and quality of soil. In 

 dry places water is essential in most 

 seasons. Staking and tying out the 

 shoots must be attended to, as the stems 

 M M 2 



