A SECOND METHOD 75 



spraying overhead until the young shoots are pushing 

 freely. 



The second of the methods of propagating Dahlias is by 

 means of cuttings, and where the conveniences exist for 

 rooting them it is unquestionably the best of the three 

 systems. With the aid of a glass structure in which a 

 temperature of 65 and a bottom heat of 70 can be main- 

 tained there is no difficulty whatever in rooting cuttings, 

 and plants so raised can with ordinary good culture be 

 depended upon to produce blooms of high quality. They 

 may not come into flower quite so early as those grown 

 directly from the old tubers, but, following the advice here 

 given for shifting the young plants into 6-inch pots when 

 well rooted, and growing them in such manner as to ensure 

 their acquiring strength, there will not be a great difference 

 in the date of flowering of given varieties. Lateness of 

 flowering is in most cases due to keeping the plants in 

 small pots from the time of their rooting until they are 

 transferred to their summer quarters and the leeway they 

 have to make up when they have become established 

 therein. 



An ideal structure for raising stocks of Dahlias, and 

 indeed many other classes of plants that are increased by 

 means of spring-struck cuttings, is a span roof house about 

 10 feet wide and of a length proportionate to the require- 

 ments of the garden. This should have a 3 feet walk 

 down the centre and beds 3^ feet wide on either side, 

 and one of these should be provided with two 4-inch 

 hot -water pipes underneath to furnish the necessary 

 bottom heat. There should also be two pipes close to 

 the wall on either side. The bottom of the bed over the 



