Die 



197 



DI G 



best the head of an old spade-handle. | Stove fern. Seed and division. Sandy 



To secure uniformity of depth in plant- i loam and leaf-mould, 

 ing beans, &c., by tliis instrument, it is | DIELYTRA. Nine species, 

 useful to have it perforated with lioles j herbaceous. Division or seed. 

 to receive an iron peg, at two and three light loam 

 inches from the point, as in the follow- 

 ing outline. Fig. 31. It should be 



Hardy 

 Rich 



Fig. 34. 



shod with iron ; for if this be kept 

 bright it will make holes into which 

 the soil will not crumble from the sides. 

 The crumbling is induced by the soil's 

 adhesion to the dibble. For planting 

 potatoes, a dibble with a head three 

 inches diameter at the point, six inches 

 long up to the foot-rest, and with a 

 handle four feet long, is to be prefer- 

 red. For the insertion of seed a dib- 

 ble that delivers the seed has been in- 

 vented by a Mr. Smith. 



DICERMA. Three species. Stove 

 evergreen shrubs. Cuttings. Loam and 

 peat. 



DICHILUS lebeckioides. Green- 

 house evergreen shrub. Cuttings. — 

 Sandy loam and peat. 



DiCHORIZANDRA. Five species. 

 Stove herbaceous. Division or seed. 

 Common soil. 



bifida. Green-house 

 Cuttings. Peat and 



DICHOSMA 

 evergreen shrub, 

 sand. 



DICKSONIA. 



Seven species. Stove 



DIERVILLA lutea. 

 ous shrub. Suckers. 

 DIETES. Three 



Hardy decidu- 

 Common soil. 



Half- 



species. 



ferns. Division and seed. Loam and 

 peat. 



DICLIPTERA. Eleven species.— 

 Chietiy stove evergreen shrubs, but 

 two are annuals. The latter are raised 

 from seed ; the others from cuttings. 

 Light soil, with a little peat. 



DICRYPTA. Four species. Stove 

 epiphytes. Offsets. Peat and pot- 

 Bherds. 



DICTAMNUS. Three species. 

 Hardy herbaceous. Seed. Common 

 soil. 



hardy herbaceous. Suckers or seed. 

 Light loam. 



DIGGING is an operation performed 

 with the spade or Ibrk, having for its 

 object a loosening of the soil so as to 

 render it more fit for the reception of 

 seeds or plants. For its correct per- 

 formance Mawc and Abercrombie give 

 these directions: — 



" Begin at one end of the piece of 

 ground, and with your spade open a 

 trench quite across, one good spade 

 wide and one deep, carrying the earth 

 to the end or place where you finish ; 

 then, keeping your face to the opening, 

 proceed to dig, one spade deep, regular- 

 ly from one side of the piece to the 

 other, turning the spits neatly into the 

 trench, and the next course against 

 these; and so keep digging straight 

 back, spit and spit, still preserving an 

 open trench, a good spade width and 

 depth, between the dug and undug 

 ground, that you may have full room to 

 give every spit a clean turn, taking all 

 the spits perpendicularly, and not taking 

 too much before the spade, especially 

 in stiff land, or where the surface is full 

 of weeds, or is much dunged; so giving 

 every spit a clean turn, the top to the 

 bottom and the bottom to the top, that 

 the weeds or dung on the surface may be 

 buried a due depth, and that the clean 

 fresh earth may be turned up. 



"As you proceed break all large 

 clods, and preserve an even surface, 

 carrying both sides and middle on 

 equally, unless one side shall be hollow; 

 then carry on the hollow side lirst in a 

 kind of gradual sweep, inclining the 

 spits of earth rather that way, which 

 will gradually raise that side and reduce 

 the high one, observing the same if both 

 sides are high and the middle hollow, 

 or both sides hollow and the middle 

 high, always keeping the lower ground 

 advancing gradually before the higher; 

 by which you will always maintain a 

 uniform level, whether horizontal or 

 declining. 



" The same should also be observed 



DIDYMOCHL.ENA pulcherrima. — 1 in beginning to dig any piece of ground, 



