346 GARDEN MANAGEMENT. 



theless, such it lias become ; and few j^ardens are now without their collection 

 of dahlias, while the nursery lists of named varieties swell into hundreds, of 

 every shade and colour, except the much-prized blue, which was for some years 

 the object of the florist's pursuit. 



979. Dahlias may be multiplied by seeds, by dividing the tuber, — every 

 eye, when separated with a portion of the tuber, making a plant. Others, again, 

 cut off the young shoots under the lower leaves, and strike them in small pots 

 filled with sandy soil. Experiments have even been made to ascertain how 

 far grafting would succeed with the dahlia. 



980. Seedlings are procured by sowing the seeds in shallow pans and plung- 

 ing them into a hotbed, or hy sowing on hotbeds prepared for the purpose, in 

 March. The soil should be light and sandy, with a mixture of peat-mould. 

 The seed should be chosen from the best varieties only ; it should be lightly 

 covered with soil. A few days will bring them up, when they require all the- 

 air which can be given them safely. In April they will be ready for potting 

 off either singly in the smallest sized, or round the edge of 6-inch pots, which 

 strengthens them for final planting out. Towards the middle or end of 

 August, if successfully treated, they will begin to bloom : at this time they 

 should be examined daily, all single and demi-single blooms thrown away, 

 imless they present some new colour or show some peculiar habit of growth, 

 vrhich may be improved by further cultivation and crossing. Caution in this 

 respect is the more necessary, as it is a habit of the dahlia to improve under 

 a second year's cultivation, some of our finest varieties having come up with 

 indifferent flowers as seedlings. When done flowering, the young bulbs are 

 taken up and treated as old tubers. 



981. Cuttings are taken as follows : — In Februaiy or JIarch, and even as 

 late as the first week in April, the tuber, which has been carefully win- 

 tered in a dry place, is placed in soil placed over a hotbed, and in a very- 

 short time as many shoots as there are eyes in the tuber make their appear- 

 ance. As soon as these are two inches long, they are taken off just below 

 the leaves, struck singJy in small pots, and again placed in the same- 

 hotbed. Others prefer cutting up the tuber as soon as the eyes are dis- 

 tinguishable, and replacing them either in the soil of the hotbed or in pots. 

 Mr. T. Barnes, an undoubted authority, tells us that to obtain short-jointed, 

 stout, and healthy plants, " they should be rooted from cuttings taken ofi" in 

 April, and struck in a gentle hotbed." As soon as rooted tbey should be 

 potted in 5-inch pots, and again placed in a gentle heat, but with plenty of 

 air. "Cuttings struck at this time," he tells us, "are more healthy tha?. 

 those struck at an earlier period," and consequently form better flowering; 

 plants. A week after they are potted they should receive a watering of 

 liquid manure made from guano and powdered chai'coal, well mixed with 

 rain-water, repeating this occasionally till the time of planting out ; fumi- 

 gating the frame with tobacco, should there be any appearance of the green-fly. 



9S2. Early in May beds are prepared for their reception, if they are to be- 

 grown in massed beds. The form of the beds will depend on the general de- 



