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DAHLIA-DAPHNE. 



DAHLIA (Cavanilles). A large south American 

 tuberous-rooted herbaceous plant, introduced via 

 Spain in 1789. It belongs to the class and order 

 Syngencsia superflua of the sexual system, and to the 

 natural order Composite. This plant is now so com- 

 mon as to need no specific description. It is met 

 with everywhere, in the garden of every cottage as 

 well as of every palace, and among cultivators, in 

 sach quantities that it is truly astonishing to conceive 

 where a vent can be had for them. No plant has 

 been more extensively cultivated than the dahlia, and 

 no plant has repaid the labour and care bestowed on 

 it with more varied forms and colours than this. In 

 form and stature it is a Proteus ; in tints it is a 

 vegetable prism. Neither is the form nor colours 

 constant in the same individual. The first flowers 

 will be single, and of one colour, and the last double, 

 and of another hue ; and such is the versatility of the 

 self-colour of a parent, that its seedlings will be 

 edged, or striped, or blotched, and altogether as unlike 

 the mother as change of colour can make them. 



The dahlia partakes very much of the nature of 

 the potato ; they are natives of the same quarter of 

 the world, flourish with us during our summer, and, 

 being both tuberous-rooted plants, liable to suffer 

 from frost, require to be taken from the ground and 

 winter-stored in the same secure manner. 



There are many different plans resorted to in grow- 

 ing the dahlia. Every cultivator aims at having plants 

 of diminutive tature, bearing numerous, large, and 

 richly-coloured flowers. For this purpose, the follow- 

 ing rules are laid down by the most successful growers : 

 About the 20th of February, the tubers ate taken out 

 of the dry sand, or from off the shelves in and on 

 which they have been stored for the winter, and 

 partly buried in the bark-bed of a hothouse, or the 

 dry soil of a mild hotbed made up for the purpose. 

 Here they very quickly produce shoots. When these 

 are about four inches long, slip them off, and pot 

 them singly in proper compost, replunge them in the 

 bed, where they may remain till the season allows of 

 them being turned out into the borders. 



The young plants can seldom be placed out of 

 doors with safety till after the middle of May ; and if, 

 at planting time, they be tall or slender, they should 

 be staked, to prevent injury from wind ; and as they 

 gain height and volume in the course of the summer 

 very strong staking will be necessary. 



They should not have too rich soil to grow in ; 

 dung should never be used, because this only en- 

 courages luxuriance of stems and foliage, without 

 either expediting flowering, or causing an increase of 

 size or beauty of the blossoms. The following com- 

 post is much used and approved of: One-fourth 

 mellow loam, one-fourth leaf mould, one-fourth fresh 

 turf soil, and a like quantity of pit or river sand of 

 pure quality and white colour. 



A very extensive and successful cultivator was 

 asked the other day whether or not the dahlia-fancy 

 was nearly over ? He replied, it was only beginning ! 

 for, notwithstanding the vast number of magnificent 

 varieties now in cultivation, they would soon give 

 way to other various tinted kinds which are every 

 year raised from seeds. All are endeavouring to raise 

 a blue variety an object, according to Professor 

 Decandolle, which is never likely to be seen. 



DAHOON, is the specific name of a species of 

 holly found in Carolina, and introduced into our 

 gardens a? far back as 1726. 



DAISY, is the IBellis pere nnis of Linnaeus, and one 

 of our most common British pasture plants. Its 

 humble growth, and pretty little composite flowers, 

 are one of the principal spring ornaments of every 

 piece of turf. There are three garden varieties of it, 

 viz. the large double, the double quilled, and the proli- 

 ferous, or hen-and-chicken daisy, all common in (lower 

 borders, and sometimes planted as edgings to them. 



DALBERGIA (Roxburgh> A genus of stately 

 trees and twining shrubs, natives of the East Indies. 

 Linnsean class and order, Diadelphia Decandria, and 

 natural order Leguminosce. Generic character : calyx 

 bell-shaped, five-toothed ; keel split at the base ; pod 

 on a membraneous footstalk, not opening, and con- 

 taining from one to three seeds. These plants grow 

 well in sandy loam, and are propagated by cuttings 

 struck in sand. 



DALE A (Linnaeus). A geniis of annual and 

 perennial herbs, natives of central America. They 

 belong to Monadelphia Decandria, and to the natural 

 order Leguminosce. This genus is allied to Psoralia 

 and Galega. Several species of it are kept in our 

 greenhouses, and propagated by cuttings, but which, 

 if exposed to much humidity, are liable to drop off. 



DALECHAMPIA (Linnaeus). A climbing tropi- 

 cal genus of plants, natives of Brazil, belonging toJDoj?- 

 cia Diandria, and natural order EiiphorbiacccE. These 

 are seen in stove collections, and are grown in loam 

 and moor-earth, and are easily propagated by cuttings. 



DAMMARA (Rumphius). A genus of lofty- 

 growing forest trees, of the Pinus family, found at 

 Amboyna and in New Zealand. This was called 

 Pinus dammara by Lambert, Agathis loranthifolia 

 by Salisbury, but now a separate genus as above. 

 Rooted plants grow freely in sandy loam and moor- 

 earth, but are very difficult to strike from cuttings. 



DAMPIERA'(Robert Brown). A New Holland 

 genus named in honour of Captain W. Dampier, a 

 celebrated navigator and botanist. It belongs to 

 Pentandria Monogynia, and to the natural order 

 Goodenoviae. It is easily propagated by cuttings. 



DANDELION, is the Leontodon taraxacum of 

 botanists, and one of our most common and conspi- 

 cuous British weeds. It annoys both the farmer on 

 his arable land, and the gardener among his crops ; 

 to the latter it is a disgrace, if suffered to flower. 

 Nature has done much for this plant, even the 

 smallest portion of its root, forms a new plant, and its 

 seeds, being furnished with a most elegant flying 

 appendage, are transported far and wide by the wind. 

 On the continent, the leaves, when blanched, are 

 preferred to endive ; and it is said that, when the 

 roots are oven-dried and ground to powder, they are 

 no bad substitute for coffee. Goats, sheep, hares, 

 and rabbits, are fond of the leaves ; but it is by 

 no means a desirable plant either in meadows or 

 pastures. 



DAPHNE (Linnaeus). A rather extensive genus 

 of highly ornamental shrubs, natives of many different 

 countries, though chiefly European. Linnajan class 

 and order Octandria Monogyiiia, and natural order 

 Thymelete. Generic character : calyx corolla-like, 

 funnel-shaped, withering without dropping off, four- 

 cleft ; stamens inserted in a double series on the tube ; 

 anthers roundish ; style very short ; stigma headed : 

 drupe many-seeded. There are above twenty species 

 of the genus, and many varieties, some of them 

 exceedingly ornamental. Some are stove, others 

 reenhouse, and the greater number hardy. A few 



