32 ON THE CULTL'UE OF THE DAHLIA. 



state of perfection it arrives at witli me. I scarcely ever saw a plant 

 elsewhere more than one foot high, whilst f have every season plants 

 that attain from two to three feet in licight, and spread proportionahlj-. 

 The heautiful foliage, singularity of its closing and dropping to the touch 

 are not all the attractions ray large plants have, for- they bloom finely foi- 

 months together, having upwards of a hundred heads of its fine white 

 blossoms out at the same time. 



The following is my mode of treatment. I sow the seeds about the 

 first week in February in a pot of rich light soil, and place it in a hot 

 bed frame. I sow tliree seeds in a 24 sized pot. When the plants are 

 rip about an inch high, I pull up all but one ; this I allow to grow in 

 the frame till it is several inches high, and becomes a spreading plant. 



It may not be amiss to notice, that I have never found the plants to 

 succeed well when transjilantcd out of the seed pot. 



On the first of June I removed the plant into a green house where it 

 flourished till the middle of September, it was at that time taken into a 

 pine stove, and placed upon the pit wall, the heat of which was kept at 

 from CO to 65 degrees. At the end of January I commenced forcing cu- 

 cumbers and melons ; as soon as the violent heat had subsided, J put 

 the Mimosa into the frame giving it a pot two sizes larger, where it re- 

 mained till April ; it was then taken into a vinery, kept at from 68 to 

 72 degrees, and during the summer attained the size and beauty above 

 stated. Although I have only described the treatment as applying to 

 the treatment given to one plant, I have several more all of which are 

 equally vigorous. I sow seeds every spring, so that I have a succession 

 of plants for every summer. I have raised plants by taking cuttings from 

 the old plants at their second year's growth, and I find that by this 

 means I can keep them perennial. The old plant usually dies the 

 second winter. 



J. Rock. 

 Feb. I2th, 1833. 



ARTICLE YU.—On the Culture of the Dahlia. By 

 Vertumnus. 



The floral wodd are considerably indebted to you for the production 

 of your little Work on Floriculture ; a work at the moderate price of 

 your publication being much wanted. I subjoin a few remarks on the 

 culture of the Dahlia, (suggested by the communication of your Not- 

 tingham Correspondent,) which I shall be happy to see in your next, if 

 vou think them worth notice. 



