DAHLIA. 49 



cover them over with a little earth, in a warm place, the begin- 

 ning of May, so as to start the buds before the roots are 

 divided. Without this course, it will be impossible to divide 

 the tubers so as to be sure of a bud on each ; and without a bud 

 a tuber is worthless. The buds having appeared, clean the 

 roots from soil, and with a sharp knife divide the stool in such 

 a manner that a bud may be secured to each division. The 

 smallest tuber, with a bud, will make a strong plant. 



By Cuttings. This process requires so much care and 

 attention, that I must refer my readers to works on the subject 

 of propagation. 



Plants raised by cuttings have never succeeded so well with 

 me as from divisions of the root. The reason may be, that in 

 the propagation of new varieties, in the desire to realize as 

 much as possible, weak shoots are taken, and forced so rapidly, 

 and become so attenuated and weakened, that they never 

 recover. True it is, that, after paying extravagant prices for 

 new sorts, 1 have frequently been disappointed in not having 

 a single bloom; and, what is worse, the roots may not get 

 strength enough to stand through the winter, even with the 

 greatest care. 



Soil and Cultivation. Too much has been said and written 

 upon the cultivation of the Dahlia. After following the direc- 

 tions given by various amateurs and writers, and after taking 

 much pains and care in cultivation, 1 have been chagrined to 

 find that the refuse of my roots, planted without care, and very 

 little manure, in yellow loamy soil, have far outstripped those 

 on which more abundant pains had been bestowed. The 

 Dahlia likes a humid atmosphere, such as we rarely have in 

 this country. It frequently begins to flower, and promises 

 well in July, but on the last of that month and August our 

 scorching sun and arid atmosphere, together with the insects 

 that prey upon it, operate so unfavorably that it hardly recovers 

 before it is overtaken with frost. While 1 resided in Lancas- 

 ter, my garden was situated on the banks of a branch of the 

 Nashua River. In hot weather, a damp or mist rose from the 

 5 



