106 NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 



dry place. When the scales of the pod turn brown, separate 

 the seeds, dry them in the sun in the morning only, and 

 when dry store them in a dry room. Sow them in September 

 in shallow pans, and transplant the seedlings singly into small 

 pots or into a seed bed as soon as the frosts are passed, plant 

 them out a foot apart every way, and allow them to flower. All 

 badly shaped or dull-coloured flowers throw away ; there is 

 no hope of their improving by culture. Such as have good- 

 formed petals and bright colours, though not perfectly double, 

 may be kept another year for further trial. 



Soil. The Dahlia requires a rich, deep, friable soil ; and, 

 as the branches are heavy and brittle, a sheltered, but not 

 shaded situation should be chosen. The ground should be 

 trenched, if it will allow it, eighteen inches or two feet deep, 

 and a good coating of well-decomposed manure spread on 

 the surface after the trenching is completed, and immediately 

 dug in one spit deep. 



Slimmer Culture. Prepare the plants for planting out 

 by constant and full exposure when the weather is mild. 

 The season for planting is as soon as there is no fear of any 

 more frost. Five feet apart every way for the dwarf-growing 

 kinds, and six feet for the tall ones, will not be too much. 

 It is a good method to have the places for each marked out 

 by driving in the stakes in the exact places first, and then 

 there is no danger of the stakes injuring the roots. As late 

 frosts frequently occur, especially in the South Island, it is 

 safer to cover the plants at night with clean empty garden-pots, 

 of a sufficient size to cover them without touching the leaves, 

 until all fear of frost has subsided. When the plants have 

 obtained a considerable growth, cover the surface round 

 each plant with some half-rotten, littery stable manure ; this, 

 will preserve them from drought, and afford nutriment when 

 the plants are watered. 



Tying. As soon as the plants are high enough they 

 should be tied to the stakes with some rather broad shreds 

 of soft bass matting ; and the tied shoots must also be 

 secured by longer pieces of matting, to prevent the winds 

 and heavy rains from breaking them off. 



Winter Treatment. As soon as the Autumn frosts have 

 destroyed the tops of the plants, cut down the stems, and 



