1848. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



87 



Character of a Fine Dahlia. — Propagation, &c. 



The admirers of that magnificent autumn 

 flower, the Dahlia, will peruse the following 

 extracts from the London Horticultural Maga- 

 zine, with pleasure and profit. Next month we 

 .shall continue, on the subject of planting and after 

 culture. We do not expect that cultivators, in 

 this country, will discard all the varieties that 

 fall short in tlie characters given below ; we give 

 them in order to show \v4iat a really fine Douhle 

 Dahlia is, that growers may know at least what 

 to aim at : 



PROPERTIES OF THE DAHLIA. 

 1. The flower sliould be a perfect circle when vieweil in 

 front ; tiie petals should be broad at the ends, smooth at 

 the edges, thick in substance, perfectly free from inden- 

 ture or point, stilV to hold their form ; thej' should cup a 

 little, but not enough to show the under surface ; they 

 should be in regular rows, forming an outline of a jierfect 

 circle, without any vacancy between them, and all in the 

 circle should be of the same size, uniformly open to the 

 game shape, and not crumpled. 



A Perfect Dahlia. (Fig. '^2.) 



2. The flower should form two-thirds of a ball, when 

 looked at sideways. The rows of petals should rise 

 one above another symmetrically ; every petal s-hould 

 cover the join of the two petals under it — what the florists 

 call imbricating, by which means the circular appearance 

 is perfected throughout. 



3. The center should be perfect, the unbloomed petals 

 laying with their points towards the center, should form a 

 button, and should be the highest part of the flower, com- 

 pleting the ball. 



4. Tiie flower should be symmetrical. The petals should 

 open boldly, without showing their under side, even when 

 half opened, and should form circular rows, uniformly 

 laid, evenly opened, and enlarging by degrees to the outer 

 row of all. 



5. The flower should be very double. The rows of pe- 

 tals laying one above another, should cover one another 

 very nearly ; not more should be seen in depth than half 

 the breadth ; the more they are covered so as to leave 

 them distinct, the better in that respecA ; the petals, there- 

 fore, though cupped, must be shallow. 



6. The size of the flowers when well grown, should be 

 four inches in diameter, and not more than six. 



7. The color should be dense, whatever it be — not as 

 if it were a white dipped in color, but as if the whole 



llowcr was colored throughout. Whether lipped or edged, 

 it must be free from .^plashes or blotches, or indefinite 

 marks of any kind ; and new flowers, unless they beat 

 all tlie old ones of the same color, or arc a novel color 

 themselves, with a majority of the point.s of excellence, 

 should he rejected. 



If the petals show the under side too much, even when 

 looked at sideways — if ihey do not cover each other well — 

 if the centre is composed of petals pointed upwards, or 

 those which are around ihe center are confused — if the 

 petals are too deep and funnel-like — if the petals are too 

 narrow, or exhibit too much of their length-— or if they 

 show any of the green scale at the bottoms of the petals — 

 if llie eye is sunk — if the shoulder is too high, the face flat. 

 or the sides too upright — if the petals show an indenture, 

 as if heart-shaped— if the petals are too large and coarse, 

 or are flimsy, or do not hold their form — in any or all these 

 cases the flowers are objectionable ; and if there be one or 

 two of these faults conspicuous, the flower is second or 

 third rate. 



If flowers are exhibited which show the disc, or a greet!- 

 scrale, or have been eaten by vermin, or damaged by car- 

 riage, or are evidently decayed, the censors should reject 

 them at once. 



PROPAGATION. 



There are several modes of increasing the Dahlia. For 

 an amateur, who does not require many plants from each 

 tuber, it will be enough to put the tubers in a warm stove, 

 or in a slight hot-bed. without planting or potting them. 

 and sprinkle ihem occasionally With water ; this will cause 

 the eyes to start. The tubers may be then separated inta 

 as many pieces as there are eyes, each eye having a portion 

 of tuber to it. There is no necessity for a large piece of 

 tuber ; it may be cut so as to go into a moderate sized pot, 

 and be grown in the hot-bed stove, or even green-house ; 

 but the season at which they are separated must be selected 

 according to the convenience. If there be no hot-house, 

 nor green-house, nor hot-bed, the roots may be kept in a 

 basket near the kitchen (ire, and there be sprinkled occa- 

 sionally, until they are separated, which cannot be done 

 wiih advantage until the eyes have all fairly started. This 

 plan will generally produce as much increase as an amateur 

 requires. Where there is no convenience for potting, plant 

 them at once in the ground, with the crowns six inches be- 

 low the surface. Those who desire a larger increase should 

 pot them, and as the shoots get two inches long, carefully 

 break them out, by pressing them backwards and forwards 

 near the bottom ; place them one each in thumb-pots, and 

 put them ia a hotbed to strike, which, if kept moist, they 

 will do in a few days, and continue doing tliis until there 

 are are enough plants : but if a large number is required, 

 let the shoots all grow three inches long, and with a sharp 

 knife cut them ofl" just under the lower pair of leaves, 

 which will cause numerous other shoots to come forward, 

 fit for the same treatment, which may be kept on until any 

 quantity required is secured ; but it should be remembered 

 that this could be continued until by excessive and rapid 

 propagation the constitution of the plant would be clianged, 

 and very double varieties rendered semi-double, or even 

 single. Nobody, however, who could procure pot-roots, 

 however small, or a piece of tuber with a single eye, 

 should ever use plants ; for a piece of tuber with an eye, 

 or a pot-root however small, w ill make a far better plant 

 than even an early cutting. The cuttings as they are 

 struck, should be put into a frame rather cooler, and by de- 

 grees be inured to a cold frame, previous to planting out. 



Salt a good Manure for Celery. — A root 

 and a stalk of Celery weighing fourteen pounds 

 vvithout the leaves, and measuring fourteen inch- 

 es in circumference, was exhibited at a recent 

 meeting of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society. 

 It was exhibited to show the value of salt as a 

 manure for this plant, the gentleman who raised 

 the article having made the experiment of treat- 

 ing a portion of his "plants in the ordinary way, 

 and manuring a part of them with salt. The 

 former were of ordinary size and quality, the latter 

 being both larger and of finer flavor, of which the 

 specimen exhibited was an exemplification. 



