THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



603 



six purple or violet, with a yellow centre; 3, six 

 yellow, with a purple or violet centre; 4, six 

 scarlets, with a while centre; 6, six while, wiih 

 a scarlet centre ; 6, six ruse, with a while ctMitre ; 

 7, six blackish green purple, wiih an orange centre. 

 These seven patches forming a straiglii border, 

 may be then repeated in an inverted order, which 

 would give thirteen patches, and there should be 

 a patch ol seven whiles at each end. It' the 

 border is circular, wiihout any centrii [)oini ol 

 view, the foregoing arrangement should be re- 

 peated ad infinitum, wiihoui inverting the order 

 alter the seventh patch. 



Another advantageous disposition would be 

 ihe ibilowing ; — 



White. Pink, Wliite. Orange. Violet. Yet, 



O O O O 



Pink. Yel. Whi, Or. Vio. VVlii. Yel. Whi. Vir.. 



O 000000 o o 



White. Rose. White. Orange. Violet. Yel. 



O O o o 



Scarlet, White. Bl purple. WHiite. 



o o o o 



White. Yellow. Scarlet. White. Pink. Bl. purp. 



o o o o o o 



Scarlet. White. Bl. purple. White. 



o o 



In this arrangement, violet may be substituted 

 for purple.^ These are points that richly deserve 

 the consideration of those who are now about to 

 plant out beds of verbenas, pelargoniums, and 

 other lender annuals, lor they will be found to 

 afliect e-sentially the display of agreeable colors. 

 It may be difficult to apply ihem at first, but ihe 

 attemp,t should he made at once, and such notes 

 prepared during the flowering season, as will ena- 

 ble the principles to be carried out another year. 

 In dressing and adjusting the stands of flowers 

 in a florist's exhibition, the harmonious contrast 

 of color can always be kept in view, and the im- 

 portance of attending to the efl'ect of complimen- 

 tary colors observed advantageously. The ground 

 color ol such stands should be most especially 

 consulted ; and it should be remembered, that the 

 nearer colors are brought together, Ihe more de- 

 cided is their mutual effect. 



THE DAHLIA. 



From the Gardener's Chronicle. 



The dahlia is subject to vary so much in differ- 

 ent situations and seasons, that great difficulty 

 exis's in gaining an accurate knowledge of the 

 merits of each kind, especially of those which 

 have been only seen for one season. The cir- 

 cumstances under which it is arown are also so 

 various, that unless you see the plant, you cannot 

 fairly judge the merits of the flower. A great 

 deal of attention is requisite, in order il possible 

 to find out what particular culture a given plant 

 has been subjected to ; lor example, whether the 

 shoots have been much thinned, the flowers 

 shaded, a great deal of manure given, or none 

 at all, &c. All these circumstances should be 

 jncjoired into, or how can we expect to get fine 

 flowers from new kinds? The followintr lacts 

 with regard to new kinds of dahlias, should al- 

 ways be borne in mind belbre condemning them 

 the second year : — 



1. That the seedling plant is much debilitated 

 by propagation, and iherelbre the flowers are 

 rarely as good the second season as they are the 

 first and third. This circumstance alone accounts 

 in a great mefsure for the dissalislaction express- 

 ed of late years concerning the meriiB of new 

 dahlias. 



2. That Ihe best flowers are obtained from those 

 plants struck from the first cuttings produced by 

 the mother plant, notwithsfandin<r that they are 

 seldom a.-j strong as the cuttings that are after- 

 wards produced. 



3. That exciting Ihe roots by means of a strong 

 heat early in ihe spring, and striking the young 

 plants on a strong dung-bed, lend to weaken the 

 plants so treated to such a degree, that thoy fre- 

 quently require two or three seasons to recover, 

 ;ind regain their original character. Thus ii is 

 lound that good flowers are obtained with the 

 least trouble from those plants kept in pots the 

 first season after striking, (termed by the tradrf 

 pot-roots,) planted out the following season, and 

 allowed to start of their own accord. 



4. That in wet seasons manure is frequently 

 very injurious, Irom its causing the plant to grow 

 loo luxuriantly, and thus to produce but few 

 flowers; while in very dry seasons, it is equally 

 beneficial. Much more depends on a change of 

 soil, than on its composition and quality; with 

 moderate attention, good flowers may even be 

 obtained from plants growing in brick rubbish. 



5. That water is a point which cannot be too 

 much attended to ; a great difference exists be- 

 tween hard and soli water; but still more depends 

 on the manner in which it is applied : lor one or 

 'wo good waterings are much belter than a small 

 quantity given three or four times a week, which is 

 but too common a practice among amateurs : and, 



6. That taking up the roots immediately after 

 a frost has destroyed the lop, is the principal cause 

 of so many roots dying durinir the winter season. 



We recommend the young dahlia grower al- 

 ways to reaiember these facts, which n.ay not 

 only be taken as rules for judging new dahlias 

 by, but may also save him the vexation and dis- 

 appointment consequent on the production of bad 

 flowers from new and expensive sorts of dahlias. 



APPLE GATHERING AND KEEPING. 



From the Worcester (EngJ Journal. 



We have long been of opinion that a sreat 

 efror is com mi' ted by persons in general in gather- 

 ing their apples for winter store before the fruit 

 is sufficiently matured ; also that it is -unwise to 

 make a general gathering, instead of effecting 

 the operation by degrees and in detail according 

 to the kind of apple, whether more or less hardy, 

 of an early or late sort, a short or long keeper, 

 &c. In other harvestings judgment its exercised; 

 one species of pea ripens later than another and 

 is lelt longer to mature ; one variety of wheat is 

 garnered belbre ano'iier is ready for the sickle ; 

 one sort of potato retains its haum green to a 

 later period than another, and is allowed to remain 

 longer in the ground, and without doubt wisdom 

 and experiencejdictate the operation! But in an 

 orchard of winter apples, no matter how many 

 sorts forjn the store, how various their kir.d>-j or 



