380 PRACTICAL GARDENING. 



plant. And it is equally important tliat the instant we find 

 a bloom is coming bad or unfit to show, or the instant it be 

 gone by its perfect state, it should be taken ofi", because it is 

 weakening the powers of the plant as long as it remains on. 

 The first side shoots from the main stem will all yield large 

 showable flowers, and therefore stakes should be driven to 

 fasten them to as they grow, and they should be fastened so 

 as not to be in each other's way. But when these side shoots 

 throw out their lateral branches they would be too numerous 

 for all to remain on the plant, and therefore such of them as 

 come weakly or can be spared without detriment to the plant, 

 should be taken away while young, and so should all those 

 that sprout out again near the place they are taken from. As 

 a general rule, besides all these, there is one that should be 

 observed Avhenever a flower is coming fine ; it is, to take off 

 the end of the branch it is on, to prevent any growth beyond 

 it, for that would weaken the flower a good deal. Besides 

 this mode of treatment being good for the flowers coming on, 

 it strengthens the plant for succeedLag blooms. The only 

 difference to make in case of the plant being wanted for a 

 garden ornament, is to leave on more flower buds, but let them 

 be all placed at equal distances. 



Dahlias Grown Dwarf. — The Dahlia varies so much in 

 its habit, that w^hat would do well for one sort would be im- 

 practicable vnth another. The Dahlia, to be kept dwarf, should 

 be selected of a short-jointed habit, with short footstalks to 

 the flowers. Take the plant young, plant it at one end of the 

 bed it is to fill, or, if a large bed, plant the proper number of 

 dahlias at one end, or one side, and always in the lowest 

 part, if there be any difference ; lay it into the ground sloping, 

 and cover the root well ; then peg the stem to the ground : 

 if there be any side-shoots already, peg them right and left of 

 the centre or main stem, and as straight out as they can be 

 forced without breaking. As the plants proceed, continue to 

 peg down, and in this way cover the bed. You will find no 

 difficulty in doing this with a Httle gentle coercion, using at 

 first pegs that will hold them a little down, and by increasing 

 the force. Cut away all that are too stubborn and cannot be 

 laid down. When the Dahlia is well laid, the bloom does not 

 come half the height that the plant would have grown if un- 

 constrained, and this kind of treatment is capital on slopes or 

 banks that wajit covering in the most effective manner 



