184 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
liberal manuring, for by these means the most unsuitable soils can 
be made fit for the reception of the plants. If a quarter that was 
manured in the autumn, and then trenched or dug over deeply, 
can be set apart for the dahlias, it should be taken advantage of ; 
but if they have to be planted in a quarter which has not under- 
gone such preparation, it must be dressed with manure and dug over 
without delay. Old hotbed manure, such as would be obtained 
from a cucumber-bed made up last year, would be the most suit- 
able. The dablia is, in no sense of the word, a delicate plant, and, 
as a matter of fact, manure quite green may be employed in its 
cultivation, especially on poor thin soils, where it is difficult to insure 
for it a good root-hold; but I would not, of course, advise those 
who have a good loamy soil to deal with to use rank manure, but on 
a pinch it may be done, and the plant will be none the worse for it. 
Wuen and How to Pranr.—In referring to the proper time for 
planting the general stock, it appears desirable to caution the culti- 
vator against the mistake which is frequently committed of planting 
before the weather is settled. By planting too soon, you incur the 
risk of having the plants injured by frost or cold windy weather ; 
but in keeping them in pots until the weather is sufficiently settled 
to admit of their being planted with safety, you incur no risk at all. 
There is no doubt a considerable amount of work in keeping a stock 
of dahlias in pots well supplied with water during the month of 
May, and to avoid this the growers are naturally anxious to plant 
out as soon as possible; and frequently they allow a few days of 
genial weather to induce them to plaut before it is safe to do so. 
To keep them out of the ground longer than necessary would be 
simply to lose most valuable time, and I will at once say that the 
fortnight commencing with the last week in May and ending with 
the first week in June is the most suitable for planting operations. 
During the whole of the time I have been in business, I have sent 
out dahlias in two-inch pots, and the system answers perfectly, for a 
fair-sized and thrifty plant may be made in that sized pot; and the 
cost of carriage is considerably lessened to customers. It would be 
well, however, for the amateur to give his plants a shift as soon as 
they come to hand, and large sixties or common forty-eights will 
afford them plenty of pot-room until the time comes for planting 
out. The compost should consist of turfy loam and rotten dung, 
with alittle sand—there is no occasion for leaf-mould. Asremarked 
above, the dahlia is not a delicate plant, and it is sheer waste of 
time to prepare an elaborate compost for it. 
It is most convenient to plant in rows; and to afford sufficient 
space for attending to the plants and preparing the flowers without, 
on the other hand, wasting the space, let the rows be five feet apart, 
and the plants four feet from each other in the rows. In planting, 
take out two or three spits of the soil where each plant is to be put, 
and replace with fresh loam and well-decayed manure. LBetore 
planting drive in the stakes, and sow lettuce-seed over the whole 
piece. The cost is nothing, the result will be a supply of lettuces, 
and so long as the ground vermin can get lettuces they will not 
touch the newly-planted dahlias. It may be more convenient to 
