7 4 FLOWER-GARDENING. 



season, should put the plants thus separated into small pots 

 and keep them in a growing state until about the middle of 

 May, at which time they may be turned out of the pots, with 

 the balls of earth entire, and planted in the open borders, from 

 three to four feet from each other. 



In order to obtain an extra number of plants from any choice 

 varieties, cuttings are frequently taken from the shoots when 

 about three inches in length, which are planted in nursery-pots, 

 and cultivated in hot-beds ; they require to be shaded from the 

 sun, by mats, for the first fortnight ; afte"r which they may be 

 gradually inured to the air, and treated as plants raised in the 

 ordinary way. 



PREPARATION OF THE SOIL FOR DAHLIAS. 



Let the ground be well pulverized, and enriched with good 

 old manure, before the plants are set out. If the top soil be 

 shallow, and the subsoil inferior, it would be beneficial to the 

 plants to dig holes to the depth of a foot to eighteen inches, 

 and then replenish the earth with good rich compost, consist- 

 ing of two-thirds of fresh loam, and one-third of well-rotted 

 manure. 



Many cultivators have found late planting to suit better than 

 early ; and I myself have had more perfect flowers from plants 

 set out about the middle of June than from those planted in 

 May. This is easily accounted for. In July and August, the 

 weather is generally hot, which brings the most forward plants 

 into bud at an early season ; and in the event of a continua- 

 tion of hot, dry weather, such buds fail to produce perfect 

 flowers; whereas, those plants which are set out late, keep 

 growing through the hot weather, and produce their buds just 

 in time to receive all the benefit of the autumnal rains. From 

 a consideration of these circumstances, I think early in June 

 the safest time to set out Dahlia plants ; and if those persons 

 who have no convenience to force their roots set them out in 

 May, in ground prepared as before directed, they will generally 



