100 DAHLIAS. [May. 



now coming' up, and let them be refreshed with water as 

 it may be necessary, and pick out the weeds as they appear. 

 We cannot leave this department at this season of the 

 year, without enforcing the benefit and beauty that will 

 result from keeping the weeds down during this and the 

 next month. Therefore strictly observe that there are 

 none running to seed in any part of the garden ; in fact, 

 they ought not to be allowed to rear their heads one day in 

 sight. 



MAY. 



As the season for planting out the Dahlia is now ap- 

 proaching, we will endeavour to give our readers the whole 

 subject of their management, so as to ensure a good bloom 

 of this the most fashionable and popular ornamental plant 

 of the present day. As very many are entirely unac- 

 quainted with the nature and even the habits of the plant, 

 a brief synopsis of its history will assist in giving a key to 

 its culture. The plant was first discovered by Humboldt, 

 in Mexico, growing in sandy plains, ihree thousand feet 

 above the level of the sea. The date is not precisely 

 known, but supposed to be about 1785-6. Indisputable 

 authority, however, speaks of its being introduced into 

 England in 1789; but was lost and again introduced in 

 1803, from Madrid, by Lady Holland ; from which period 

 till 1830, it had but little notice in cultivation. Indeed it 

 seems to have been reserved for the intelligent growers of 

 the last few years to bring it into general notice ; and if we 

 take a retrospective view of the rapid progress of Dahlia 

 culture within these last five years, we will be led to ex- 

 claim, "Where will all this terminate?" but time alone can 

 solve the question ; at present it is impossible to come to 

 any satisfactory conclusions. Only a few years ago, and 

 who would have conceived the idea of having tipped, 

 striped, and spotted Dahlias of almost every hue and colour; 

 and although historical writers on the genus alluded to the 

 improbability of a blue flower ever being produced, yet it 

 is not unreasonable to imagine that ere long we will have 



