D A H 



191 



D AH 



they may be placed in separate pots, 

 and kept growing in heat until tliey are 

 six or eight inclies higii, when thev may 

 be taken into a cooler frame." — Card, 

 and Prart. Flor. 



Propagation from summer shoots. — 

 " The most important operation in 

 dahlia-growing,"' concludes Mr. (llen- 

 ny, " is that of securing an increase 

 from the shoots, which can he taken 



for it is by these that the strength of 

 the jihint gets exhausted. By removing 

 all that are too near one to be bloomed, 

 and al! tliose that show imperfections 

 enough to prevent them being useful, 

 much strength will be gained by the 

 future flowers. So, also, by pulling off 

 the blooms themselves, the moment 

 they are past perfection, instead of let- 

 tins them seed." — Glenny : Card, and 



off after the plants have begun to grow ' Pract. Flor. 

 in the open ground. These should be i " Winds and sun," adds an anony- 

 Ktruck in the same way as other cut- , mous but correct writer, " are both 

 tings; but they niust be selected care- detrimental ; and the practice of fixing 

 fully, cut as others are cut, close up to ! the blooms in the centre of a flat board, 

 the under side of a pair of leaves, and | and covering them with glass or flower- 

 be strtick in a hot-bed iu full perfection | pots as they may want light or shade, 



is becoming general. The more easy 



of heat." — Ibid. 



" The so(7," says Mr. Glenny and ! way is to use a paper-shade for any 

 other tirst-rate authorities, " cannot be particular fine bloom; for however the 

 too fresh ; and of all soils that which j flowers may be coaxed and nursed un- 

 produces good grass, as the top spade- [ der cover, a stand of blooms grown 

 full of a meadow, is the best. It should finely and merely shaded from the hot- 

 have a retentive yet well-drained sub- | test sun, will beat all others in bril- 

 soil, and be kept well supplied with i liancy, and in standing carriage, and 

 moisture, not only by watering, but i keeping. It is right to go round the 



frequent hoeing 



plants, and, wherever there is a pro- 



" When the ground is poor, and has raising bud or bloom, to take away all 



to be made more fertile, there is 

 addition equal to the soil formed by 

 rotten turfs cut tolerably thick, which 

 may be estimated at one-half loam and 

 half vegetable mould; but this should 

 be laid on in abundance, and will be 

 farhetterthan dung of any kind, .\niong 

 the results of planting the dahlia in soil 

 that is too rich, the principal one is that 

 of remarkably vigorous growth, with 

 little bloom, and that little bad."" — Ibid. 

 '• Holes in the situations where dah- 

 lias are to be planted,"' says Mr. Fin- 



the leaves and shoots that threaten to 

 touch it as they grow ; take oft' also the 

 adjoining buds ; and if the vveather be 

 windy make it fast to a stick or one of 

 the stakes, that it may not be bruised 

 or frayed ; shade it from the broiling 

 sun ; and it will so profit by the air and 

 night-dews, as compared with the bloom 

 under pots and glasses, that if the 

 growth be equal, the blooming will be 

 superior. Nevertheless people will 

 cover; and where there is a disposition 

 to a hard eve, it will hardiv come out 



tellmann, " are made fifteen inches in perfect unless it is covered. As the 



diameter and fifteen inches in depth, end of September approaches, or as 



and filled with this soil ; and in these soon as you have done with the bloom, 



hol(^, so filled, the young plants are earth up the plants, that when the frost 



turned out, or the old roots inserted. 

 To retain the moisture, and protect the 

 root from excessive heat, the surface is 

 covered with moss. 



" Liquid manure is applied two or 

 three times in the course of the sum- 

 mer.'" — Gard. Mag. 



comes it may not reach the crown." — 

 Gard. and Pract. Florist. 



Preserving the Roots. — «' The plants 

 maybe raised without injury," says Dr. 

 Lindley, "immediately after the blooms 

 are cut off by the frost, provided that 

 thny are hung up in a dry and ordina- 



After-culture. — This comprises chief- 1 rily protected situation, with the roots 

 ly staking, hoeing, protection, and | uppermost, if care is taken to leave six 

 slight pruning. j or seven inches of the stem attached to 



"Dahlias should never be pruned each tuber; this maybe done without 

 until the bloom buds show, and then J the slightest fear of their withering 

 but few branches should be cut out, from liaving been lifted in a green state, 

 and only such as are growing across As the winter advances, and the tubers 

 others. The buds should be thinned, become matured and firm, the ordinary 



