130 ON THE CULTURE OF THE DAHLIA. 



north-east and westerly winds, yet sufficiently airy and open. 

 The south-eastern border was previously prepared thus, three 

 inches of well rotted dung first laid in, four inches of well sifted 

 light mellow loam, leaf mould, pit sand, and yellow clay, well 

 incorporated together six months previous; the plants were then 

 inserted into this, and never drooped whenever there was an ap- 

 pearance of frost at night, a flower pot was placed over each 

 plant, and removed the succeeding morning. The growth of all 

 weeds were checked around the plants by repeated turnings of 

 the upper surface of the soil, which also refreshed the plants, 

 during the dry season they should be watered abundantly two or 

 three times a week with and without the rose on the watering 

 pot. 



By the above treatment I have had twenty-six plants from 

 three parent roots in one year and all are of groat magnitude 

 promising an abundant bloom. 



Emily Armstronge. 



Julj 25th 1837, 



ARTICLE VI. 

 ON THE CULTURE OF CUTTINGS OR SLIPS OF DAHLIAS. 



BY AN AMATEUR. 



The Dahlia has of late years so much engrossed the attention of 

 Florists, that perhaps the following observations on the culture 

 of slips or cutings of that majestic and beautiful autumnal flower 

 may not be uninteresting to your readers ; the slips ought to be 

 short branches taken off either by the hand or the knife from 

 the main stem, or what is preferrable, originating near the tuber 

 itself* it being important to have as much as possible of the 

 woody fibres at the joint, as the soft juicy part is apt to decay 

 rather than produce roots. In the spring, indeed, when the 

 eyes, have shot up two or three inches, the shoots may be 

 broken or slipt off by pushing them backwards and forwards at 

 the bottom and planting them about an inch deep in thumb 

 pots, one in each pot, when they generally become fine plants 

 and flower well. When the grower has no frame or hand-glass 

 he must keep the potted cuttings close to the window glass of 

 i room, so that they may have abundance of light: and if a 



