THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 129 



CULTUBE OF THE DAHLIA EOR EXHIBITION. 



|HE following concise rules, to be observed in the success- 

 ful culture of the Dahlia for exhibition, are not furnished 

 so much for any novelty which exists in the practice 

 recommended, as to point out a few of the most essen- 

 tial things to be done at the proper time. 



Eor economy in carriage, the plants are grown and sunt out in 

 small pots ; therefore, on receiving them from the nursery, place them 

 in a close frame for a day and a night to recover them from their 

 confinement ; then repot them into four-inch pots, using rich soil ; 

 the pots should be drained with coarse partly decayed leaf-mould, so 

 that, in planting out, there will be nothing to abstract from the ball 

 of earth. 



A good start is of great importance ; therefore, care should be 

 taken that the plant is grown to a fair size without drawing during 

 the time it is in the pot ; the stouter it is the better, without being 

 tall : and it should not be pot bound at the time of planting out ; 

 both the roots aud the point of the plant should be in a thriving 

 condition, and free from aphides. It may perhaps be unnecessary to 

 state that the plants must be carefully hardened off before they are 

 turned out. If the soil and plants are in a proper state, the first 

 week in June will be a good time for the general planting, which, 

 with ordinary care and attention, will produce good blooms in time 

 for the earliest exhibition. A short period will suffice to have plants 

 of a good size, but it should be borne in mind that hours lost in 

 repotting them when in a young state, will make a difference of days 

 in the time of blooming, and it is important that this should be 

 clearly understood, that no neglect in the matter may be permitted 

 to take place. Examine the plants often to see if any require water ; 

 by no means let them become dry so long as they are in pots. 

 Secure them with proper and strong fastenings at the time of the 

 planting ; water whenever they require it, and sprinkle the foliage 

 slightly almost every evening with soft water. Tie out the branches, 

 and, as the plant increases in size, secure the side-shoots firmly to 

 extra stakes. Cut away all superfluous small shoots. Some varieties 

 have scarcely any to remove, while others have a considerable number. 

 Fearless is of the class which has but few shoots requiring the use of 

 the knife ; but such kinds as Shy lock require it freely. Indiscrimi- 

 nate pruning must therefore be avoided. Study the habit of the 

 plant, and consider if the flower will be improved by increased size; 

 all varieties need some thinning and disbudding, which should be 

 effected at different periods. 



Small tlowers require it as soon as the young shoots and buds 

 can be removed, while large flowers, such as the Thames Bank Hero, 

 Princess Louise, and many others, would be rendered coarse and 

 valueless for the purposes of exhibition if a number of buds was 

 not permitted to remain till the plant was coining into bloom. Size 

 in this case would be gained at the expense of quality ; besides, 

 there is the advantage of having three blooms where two would be 



May. i) 



