150 ON RAISING SEEDLING DAHLIAS. 



Gentiana acaulis Helenium autumnal 



Geum coccinum majus Helianthus decapitalus 



Gladialus lyzantinus Heleborus niger 



communis Hemerocallis graminea 



Glaucium fulocum • disticha 



Hedysarum observum ........ fidva 



I shall send you the remainder of the list at a future time, 

 there being a great many more names. You may insert this or 

 not, as you please. 



ARTICLE VI. 



ON RAISING SEEDLING DAHLIAS. 



BY MR. D. PEARCE. 



As several of your correspondents appear anxious to acquire 

 a little knowledge on raising seedling Dahlias, I beg the insertion 

 of the following : 



All the new and splendid varieties which now make so great 

 show in our gardens, have been raised from seed. To insure 

 success to the cultivator, the following remarks may be found 

 advantageous : 



Impregnation. — Artificial impregnation is certainly an advan- 

 tage, and, if properly performed, will seldom fail to answer the 

 intended purpose. 



Select as handsome and compact flowering plants for the pa- 

 rents as possible. Having done so with a small pointed camel's 

 hair pencil, take the pollen dust from one flower to another. The 

 design of this, however, would in a great measure be frustrated, 

 if bees were not prevented having access to the flowers. To 

 prevent any disappointment from bees, cover the flowers intend- 

 ed to be the female parent, with a fine gauze bag, for two or 

 three days before the florets expand. 



As soon as the florets open, impregnate them, but retain the 

 gauze bag over them for another week, until all danger from im- 

 pregnation of bees are over. In collecting the seed in autumn 

 most cultivators collect from the outside tiers alone, because they 

 they were usually much finer and better ripened. These out- 

 side tiers, however, are probably inferior to the inside, for pro- 

 ducing the greatest quantity of double flowers, the very finest 



