4 OK THE CULTURE OF THE DAHLIA. 



to the roots increasing and the insertion of the stakes at this 

 period, would injure them. As the plants advance in height, take 

 care that they have timely support, by tieing the stems to the 

 stakes with bass. 



When the flower buds begin to appear, you must not let your 

 plants lack moisture, if this is not attended to, your flowers will 

 be very weak; indeed, from the first planting them out, they 

 ought not to lack water. To have fine flowers you ought to 

 divest the branches of the small side shoots, also of buds which 

 appear to cluster, leaving no more than one bud on each stem ; 

 this is practised by Florists, whose flowers are for competi- 

 tion. 



About this time you will begin to find yourself very much 

 troubled with those unwelcome guests, the earwigs, by commit- 

 ting extensive ravages among the flower buds, indeed, I know of 

 no other tribe of plants which they seem to crave after so much 

 as the Dahlia, and if great care is not taken, by having recourse 

 to some means or other to extirpate them/your prospects as far as 

 regards their flowering, will be entirely blighted ; for there can- 

 not be a petal which comes within their reach, but evident signs 

 of their ravages manifest themselves. I have had recourse to va- 

 rious methods, but found none so efficacious in diminishing them 

 as the following. (Moreover, be it observed, that it is a practice 

 with many to mulch the ground with stable litter, so as to create 

 a continual moisture around the plants ; this mulching I have 

 found to be an allurement for the insects, for they will conceal 

 themselves even in the pieces of straw, which to find, will be like 

 looking for a " needle in a bottle of hay." If mulching be adopt- 

 ed, let it be that of cow dung, which will answer your expecta- 

 tions in every sense of the woid.) 1st, Pots placed on your 

 stakes, with a little dry moss or tow in them, and looked mto 

 early in the morning. 2dly, Tow placed round the flower stalks, 

 the insects not liking to ensnare themselves in it; and, 3dly, Bean 

 stalks placed by a piece of string, on the stems or stalks ; also 

 pieces of cane soaked in water that had previously some sugar 

 dissolved in it, the earwigs being very partial to things that 

 possess saccharine matter and a dark recess, With regard to 

 taking up your tubers, which is a very important thing, let it not 

 be done too early least their not being sufficiently ripe, will 

 cause them to shrivel or rot and die. Great care must be 

 taken of the lower end of the stem where it joins the tuber 



