216 



The Dahlia — Weighing Cattle u-liile Fatting. 



Vol. V. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet, 

 The Dahlia. 



Sir, — I find in the Majrazine of Horti- 

 culture an article on the manag'ement of the 

 Dahlia, which is deserving the notice of those 

 who are interested in the cultivation of the 

 most superb of all the flowers which adorn 

 our gardens, at that season of the year when 

 the beauty and bloom of the spring and sum- 

 mer varieties have passed away. It is there 

 stated, that " the best general bloom is always 

 to be found upon those roots which are planted 

 on a moderately rich, sandy loam soil, in a 

 cool situation, as in liot and dry seasons they 

 do not suffer so much from drought, as those 

 planted upon a gravelly or sandy bottom. 

 Planting the roots on a proper soil, near the 

 margin of a river, or other large body of 

 water, seems best adapted to ensure a per- 

 fect blooming of this exquisitely-formed 

 flower ; the constant evaporation from tlie 

 surface, in hot weather, producing a humidity 

 in the atmosphere, mucli more congenial to 

 the nature of the plant, than can be obtained 

 by any artificial means." As an instance, 

 mention is made of Thorburn's garden, which 

 is situated on Long-Island, opposite Hurlgate, 

 and within about twenty feet of the waters 

 of the East River, where the Dahlia has not 

 tailed, for several years, to produce an abun- 

 dant bloom ; while in the interior, cultivators 

 have, in many places, been unable to obtain 

 a hundred flowers from as many roots : and 

 from my own observation, the remark is just, 

 for the best blooms which I witnessed the 

 last season were in situations similar to that 

 pointed out, on the Delaware, in a garden 

 reaching to within a very few feet of the 

 river, and on the banks of the Schuylkill, 

 every plant being loaded with blossoms of the 

 most perfect form and delicate varieties, of 

 remarkable freshness and vigour; while on 

 other plantations, more remote from water, 

 where the plants had grown to an enormous 

 size — more like trees than plants of annual 

 growth — scarcely could be found a single 

 well-formed flower, with numerous buds 

 which never opened at all. 



I have an idea that a great improvement 

 in the cultivation of this most valuable addi- 

 tion to our autumnal flowering plants might 

 be made, by placing each root in a large pot, 

 instead of into the border of the garden : there 

 would, I conceive, be many and great advan- 

 tages resulting from this practice. And, 

 first, the roots may be committed to the earth 

 much earlier than would be safe, if they 

 were planted into the border at once, as the 

 pots could be kept under shelter — a piazza, 

 for instance — until the plants had shot forth, 

 and then be plunged into the borders, pots 

 and all, to remain during the flowering sea- 



son : this mode being as applicable to those 

 plants struck in pots in the green-house, as 

 they could be removed to large pots most 

 conveniently. Second, At the approach of 

 winter, the pots could be removed from the 

 border to the piazza, or into the house, or 

 other shelter, where they might continue 

 their blooming, and bring many blossoms to 

 perfection which would otherwise be cut ofF 

 by the frost, or be prevented from opening at 

 all, if exposed in the borders. Third, A 

 proper soil might be prepared artificially, so 

 as to suit the different sorts of flowers, it being 

 found that the mottled varieties require a 

 gravelly soil to bring forth their beauties; 

 and others doing better in those soils that 

 are tenacious : and in these pots the roots 

 might remain during the winter, if found bet- 

 ter adapted to their safety than taking them 

 out; it is presumed, however, that in either 

 case, it would be advisable to replace the 

 earth with fresh mould at the time of plant- 

 ing the roots in the spring, and this could be 

 prepared during the winter, by exposure to 

 the atmosphere and agitation, the grand se- 

 cret of preparing mould for the potting of 

 plants of every description. 



D. E. 



On Weighing Cattle, while Fatting. 



As the grazier is usually less skilled in 

 judging of the weight of live cattle than the 

 butcher, Lord Kaimes advises to sell them 

 by weight while alive. The weighing of 

 cattle periodically is also useful, in order to 

 ascertain whether each beast fattens in pro- 

 portion to the value of the food eaten, as it 

 may often be best to dispose of such as do not, 

 forthwith. He says, the four quarters, when 

 dressed, are about half the whole weight of 

 the animal, while living, with its stomach 

 moderately full ; the skin being about the 

 eighteenth part ; the tallow about the twelfth ; 

 the remainder being composed of the head, 

 feet, tripe, blood, &c., which offal never sells 

 by weight, but in proportion to the weight of 

 the animal. With a knowledge, therefore, 

 of these particulars, and of the market price 

 of the beef, tallow, skin, &,c., the farmer or 

 grazier can ascertain what his animals are 

 worth while alive. By weighing fatted 

 calves while living, and deducting eight 

 pounds from every twenty, the remainder will 

 prove about the weight of the four quarters 

 when dressed. — Selected. 



The industrious are seldom criminal, but 

 the most of those who yield to guilty entice- 

 ments may trace their lapse from rectitude, 

 to habits of idleness. 



\A 



