THE ELOEAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 335 



but in removing it from a moist, warm, close situation, to a cool, 

 dry, airy one. Some management will be necessary to prevent the 

 leaves getting discoloured, or the plant sustaining a check. After 

 blooming, place the plants in a house where the temperature may 

 range rather high, to ripen up the wood, before placing them in 

 their winter quarters ; or in the case of plants that flower early, 

 they may be allowed a short season of rest, then repotted, pruned 

 back, etc., and be placed in bottom-heat and induced to make 

 growth before winter ; plants so treated must not be placed iu low 

 temperature during the winter, as this would discolour the foliage, 

 and probably injure the roots and wood, but should be wintered°in 

 a light house, where the temperature may range from 55 Q to 60°, 

 and be very carefully watered ; specimens managed in this way will 

 be ready to burst into bloom at any time in spring; they may be 

 placed in a warm, moist temperature. Dipladenia is not a favourite 

 with insects, and with a properly moist atmosphere it will hardly 

 suffer from any pest except black thrips, which may probably attack 

 it, and if so, should be eradicated by frequent doses of tobacco- 

 smoke. The best soil for this lovely plant is good, rich, turfy peat, 

 and light sandy turfy loam, in the proportion of about two-thirds 

 of the former to one-third of the latter. To this add a very liberal 

 allowance of clean, sharp sand, say one-fourth of the whole, and a 

 quantity of clean potsherds broken small, and well mis the whole 

 together. The soil should be ready mixed, and before usino- it 

 placed where it will acquire about the same temperature as that of 

 the ball of the plant to be shifted, and it should be in a proper state 

 as regards moisture. 



PRESERVATION OF DAHLIA ROOTS. 



BY AN AMATEUE. 



fOOTS should be taken up if not done already, and 

 stored away until the time for starting them arrives. 

 Flowers, however valuable, are apt to be neglected when 

 tiieir beauty is over, and cold, dreary, autumnal days 

 induce the amateur gardener to remain indoors ; this "is 

 particularly the case with Dahlias, which are allowed to remain verv 

 late before any care is bestowed upon them. They thus become the 

 victims of hoar frosts, which injure the crowns, and prevent them 

 shooting in the spring. In October the crowns should be protected, 

 either by hoeing the soil round the stems or placing litter about 

 them. Before the flowers are all faded, the names should be exa- 

 mined, for sometimes damp obliterates them, or the tally may be 

 lost. It is vexatious to find, on taking up a root, that no name is 

 attached to it ; obliging you either to throw it away, or run the 

 risk of carefully tending a variety not worth growing or having more 

 of one sort than you wish to grow next year. An inspection of the 



November. 



