110 A GUIDE TO FLORICULTURE. 



world has been bountifully supplied with the choicest 

 kinds. Long catalogues are issued annually, containing 

 many thousands ; and no flower ever cultivated has been 

 the cause of more imposition on the public than this, aris- 

 ing from tricks played on them by the exorbitancy of 

 the florist, which has consequently injured its reputation. 

 Persons in the habit of selling Dahlias in England for gar- 

 deners, have been compelled to sell with a warranty that 

 the flower shall answer the description given in the cata- 

 logue ; in most cases of late the money has been refunded 

 and the gardeners have been the losers by their "tricks in 

 trade." We do not, therefore, see so many advertised now 

 as several years back. There are not more than forty that 

 are true to their character as represented ; the season has 

 some effect on their perfection, and persons wishing to ob- 

 tain a collection should see them growing, and examine 

 their habits. To select from a stand exhibited in any place 

 is impolitic, for a plant may have but one good flower in a 

 season, which may captivate your admiration, or the plant 

 may be a shy bloomer, not worth garden room, thus creat- 

 ing disappointment instead of pleasure. 



This interesting flower is easily raised by seed, or divid- 

 ed at the root, or by cuttings. To raise from seed it is ne- 

 cessary to sow them in March, in a light, rich soil, and 

 when four leaves are formed, prick them out and pot them 

 separately until June ; give them every encouragement in 

 their growth, and then plant them out ; treat them like other 

 plants, and they will flower the first season. If you find the 

 flowers single, throw them away. No plant is worth saving 

 unless double and superior to any of the same color in cul- 

 tivation. This renders the raising from seed rather dis- 



