THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 133 
CULTIVATION OF DAHLIAS FOR EXHIBITION. 
BY GEORGE RAWLINGS, 
Dahlia Nursery, Old Church, Romford. 
i == an old cultivator of dahlias like myself, it is especially 
fm gratifying to be able to feel that these flowers are fast 
becoming extremely popular, and are again held in high 
estimation by all classes of the community. From 
thirty to forty years ago they were, perhaps, the most 
popular of all the florists’ flowers grown in the open borders, and it 
was not an uncommon occurrence for some eight or ten thousand 
people to attend an exhibition consisting exclusively of them; but 
from various causes their popularity began to decline about twenty- 
five years since, and for many years they were underacloud. Their 
decline in popularity may be said to have commenced about the 
same time as the bedding system, which now so largely prevails, was 
first introduced; and as the adoption of this system became general 
the dahlias were pushed out of the borders, where they had so long 
occupied an honourable position to make way for the masses and 
lines of scarlet, yellow, and other distinctive colours. But now a 
healthier state of things prevails, and those who have gardens are 
fast becoming aware of the fact that, after all, a mixed border well 
arranged possesses much interest, and is capable of adding mate- 
rially to the attractiveness of the garden. In consequence of this, 
_ the dahlia again occupies the position it so well deserves. 
My object in writing this is not, however, for the purpose of 
advocating the more extended culture of these flowers for garden 
decoration, for that was well done by one of your old and most 
_ esteemed correspondents in the Frorat Wortp for March last. I 
might add that they form one of the most valuable classes of autumnal 
flowering plants we have, for they are very attractive, and continue 
to produce their richly-coloured and symmetrical flowers until cut 
off by the frost in the autumn. My intention on the present occa- 
sion is simply to offer a few hints and suggestions on their culti- 
vation for exhibition purposes, and in so doing I hope to be able to 
place the amateur in a position that will enable him to produce 
blooms of first-class quality without any great difficulty. I hope, at 
all events, after making the dahlia my special study for a period of 
between thirty and forty years, to be able to say something that will 
be of service to the inexperienced amateur. 
PREPARATION OF THE Sor.—In the first place it is necessary to 
say that plants intended for the production of blooms for exhibition 
should, if practicable, be planted in a border by themselves. When 
intermixed with other things, it is difficult to give them the little 
attentions so necessary to ensure success without injury to those 
things with which they are associated. As a rule, the finest blooms 
are produced in moderately deep and well-drained loam; but the 
cultivator need not trouble himself much upon this point, for by 
judicious preparations there are not many soils in which good blooms 
cannot be produced. Deep digging is a prime necessity, as also is 
May. 
