MayJ] PROPAGATION — BY CUTTINGS. 97 



Lady Holland; from wliich period till 1830 it had but little 

 notice in cultivation. Indeed, it seems to have been reserved 

 for the intelligent growers of the last few years to bring it 

 into general notice; and if we take a retrospective view of 

 the rapid progress of Dahlia culture within these last five 

 years, we will be led to exclaim, " Where will all this termi- 

 nate V But time alone can solve the question ; at present it 

 is impossible to come to any satisfactory conclusions. Only 

 a few years ago, and who would have conceived the idea of 

 having tipped, striped, and spotted Dahlias of almost every 

 hue and color; and although historical writers on the genus 

 alluded to the improbability of a blue flower ever being pro- 

 duced, yet it is not unreasonable to imagine that ere long we 

 will have flowers beautifully and distinctly striped with black 

 and white, and even combining the gaudy colors of the tulip, 

 or the choicest hues of the carnation ; perhaps the criteria of 

 character may change to those of huge globular forms or 

 balls — nay, even the odor of the Rose or the Jasmine may 

 be imparted, and what then ? Only let amateurs and culti- 

 vators persevere with the spirit they have done during the 

 last few years, and we think all we have advanced will be 

 realized. 



Propagation. This operation may be performed in vari- 

 ous ways, either by division of the root, by cutting ofi" the 

 young shoots, or by grafting. For general planting, division 

 of the root will be sufiicient; about the first of the month 

 the old root, entire, should be planted in some warm and 

 sheltered spot of the garden, covering it with sand, vegetable 

 mould, or any light soil; in about two weeks the eyes or 

 young shoots will have sprouted : then it will be properly 

 seen how they can be most carefully divided ; the root should 

 be carefully cut into as many pieces as there are eyes or 

 sprouts, leaving only one tuber to each, when they can be 

 planted into the situation appropriated for their blooming. 



Propagation hij Cuttings. Prepare a hot-bed in March, 

 as therein described, and place a frame and lights of the 

 required size upon it; scatter over the surface of the bed four 

 or five inches of sand, old bark, or any light soil; after four 

 or five days, the fresh steam will have subsided, when the 

 roots may be laid thereon, covering them (but not over the 

 crowns) with light sandy soil ; but where large pots can be 

 obtained, I prefer planting them in the pots; by this means 

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