DAHLIA. 



144 



DAHLIA. 



in the tuber make their appearance. As 

 soon as these are 2 inches long, they are 

 taken off just below the leaves, struck 

 singly in small pots, and again placed in 

 the same hotbed. Others prefer cutting up 

 the tuber as soon as the eyes are dis- 

 tinguishable, and replacing them either in 

 the soil of the hotbed or in pots ; but to 

 obtain short-jointed, stout, and healthy 

 plants, it is desirable that they should be 

 rooted from cuttings taken off in April, and 

 struck in a gentle hotbed, as cuttings struck 

 in April are more healthy than those struck 

 at an earlier period, and consequently form 

 better flowering plants. As soon as rooted 

 they should be potted in 5 -inch pots, and 

 again placed in a gentle heat, but with 

 plenty of air. A week after they are potted 

 they -should receive a watering of liquid 

 manure made from guano and powdered 

 charcoal, well mixed with rain water, re- 

 peating this occasionally till the time of 

 planting out. Fumigate the frame with 

 tobacco, should there be any appearance 

 of the green fly. 



Weak Growth, Precautions against. 

 Where any of the plants show a weak and 

 drooping growth, time will be saved by 

 re-striking the top; although they will 

 bloom later, the flowers will be stronger 

 than they would be after the plant has 

 received a check. Another and more 

 common practice in gardens is to place the 

 whole tuber in some warm place in March, 

 and, when the eyes show themselves, cut 

 up the tubers, and in May plant them at 

 once six inches below the surface, in the 

 place where they are to bloom, staking 

 them and leaving them to nature until they 

 are sufficiently grown to compel attention ; 

 but even for common bedding-out purposes, 

 and for filling up gaps, the plant is worthy 

 of greater care than this amounts to. 



Bedding Out. Early in May beds are 

 repaired for their reception, if they are to 

 be grown in massed beds. The form of the 



beds will depend on the general design of 

 the garden ; if a portion of the garden is 

 devoted to them, either for the plants or 

 the flowers, they will be best displayed in 

 beds 3 feet wide, with alleys between. The 

 beds being marked by stakes placed at each 

 corner, 4 inches of the surface soil is re- 

 moved, and 4 inches of thoroughly rotted 

 manure put in its place, and the whole 

 deeply dug and the manure thoroughly 

 mixed with the soil in digging. In the 

 beds thus prepared the plants are placed, 

 the collar, as they have grown in the pots, 

 being on the surface of the beds. The 

 3-foot beds will receive each a row ; the 

 stakes are firmly fixed, 4, 5, or 6 feet apart, 

 according to the size of the plants ; the 

 plants themselves are planted 4 inches 

 deep, so that the crown of the plant is just 

 above the surface. As the plant increases 

 in growth, tying up commences ; at the 

 same time a diligent search should be made 

 for slugs, earwigs, and other pests of the 

 garden. These must be rooted out, or they 

 will root out the dahlias, or at least destroy 

 their flower. 



Management in Summer. During Jane 

 and July dahlias require careful attention 

 in watering and stirring the soil about the 

 roots. As the lateral shoots attain sufficient 

 length, tie them up so as to prevent their 

 breaking, placing other stakes for the pur- 

 pose, should that be necessary. The roots 

 should be assisted by stirring the soil with 

 a fork every two or three weeks, and by 

 copious watering, removing all dead or 

 straggling shoots, and keeping the plant 

 trim and well staked. When they are 

 intended either for exhibition or for highly- 

 developed flowers, only one bud should be 

 left on a shoot, and the flower should be 

 protected both from the sun and rain by tin 

 sconces, oilskin caps, or inverted flower 

 pots, placed over the top of the stake to 

 which it is tied. As the autumn approaches, 

 the swelling shoots render it necessary to 



