DAF 



[282 ] 



DAH 



Pentandria 2-Digynia. Allied to Euste 

 gia.) 



Stove evergreen twiners, with white flowers, 

 blooming in July. Cuttings of firm side-shoots 

 in sandy soil, under a glass, and in bottom-heat, 

 in April ; peat and loam, both fibry, with a little 

 silver sand. Summer temp., 60 to 65 ; winter, 

 50 to 55. 

 D. bi'color (two-coloured). 6. E. Ind. 1806. 



corda'ta (he&rt-leaved). 10. Arabia. 1824. 



exte'nta (extended). 3. E. Ind. 1777. 



sca'ndens (climbing). 10. Gambia. 1824. 



DA'FFODIL. Narci'ssuspse'udo-narci'ssits. 



DA'HLIA.. (Named after Dakl, a Swedish 

 botanist. Nat. ord., Composites [Astera- 

 cese]. Linn., IQ-Syngenesia 2-Siiperflua.) 



Hardy perennial tubers. Division of the tuber- 

 ous roots ; cuttings when they have grown three 

 or four inches in length, in the spring, and in- 

 serted in light, sandy soil, with a little bottom- 

 heat, and hardened off by degrees ; seeds for in- 

 suring the different species ; fresh, rich, light soil. 

 The roots, after the stems are cut down by frost, 

 must be taken up and plunged in dry soil. 



D, Barke'ria: (Miss Barker's). 2. Blush. Au. 

 gust. Mexico. 1838. 



CervanWsii (Cervantes'). Scarlet. August. 



Mexico. 



croca'ta (rusty). Scarlet. July. Mexico. 1802. 



exce'lsa (tall). 



anemoncefltfra (anemone-flowered). 30. 



Light. September. Mexico. 1830. 



frustra'nea (barren-rayed). 6. Scarlet. Oc- 

 tober. Mexico. 1802. 



aura'ntia (orange- coloured). 6. Orange. 



October. Mexico. 1802. 

 cro'cea (saffron). 6. Yellow. October. 



Mexico. 1802, 

 lu'tea (yellow). 6. Sulphur. October. 



Mexico. 1802. 



glabra'ta (smooth). 3. Lilac. July. Mexico. 



1838. 



scapi'gera (..'awg'-flower-stemined). 2. White. 



June. Mexico. 1837. 



supe'rflua (superfluous). 6. Purple. October. 



Mexico. 1789. 



DAHLIA AS A FLOEIST'S PLOTVEE. The 

 innumerable varieties in our gardens are 

 the descendants of D. supe'rflua. 



Propagation by Cuttings. The time for 

 striking these extends from February to 

 August. The young shoots that spring 

 from the bulbs make the best cuttings, 

 and are the most sure to grow ; but the 

 young tops taken off at a joint will strike 

 root and form small bulbs even so late as 

 August, and often are more sure to grow 

 in the spring following, if kept in small 

 pots, than roots that have been planted 

 out late. This more particularly applies 

 to new varieties. If the shoots on the old 

 bulbs are numerous, or there appears 

 many buds ready to start, the shoots 

 that have grown three inches long may 

 be slipped off with the finger close to 

 the bulb ; but if the shoots are few, or 



only one, they must be cut off so as to 

 leave two buds at the base of the shoot 

 to grow again. The cuttings, or slips, 

 must be put in pots filled with light 

 earth, with a layer of pure white sand. 

 on the surface, and placed in a gentle 

 hotbed. If the pot of cuttings can be 

 plunged in coal-ashes, or other material, 

 the cuttings will strike the sooner ; water 

 very moderately and carefully, and shade 

 from bright sun. They will strike root in 

 a fortnight or three weeks, and should be 

 immediately potted in 3^-ineh pots, and 

 kept close for a few days, till they make 

 a few more roots. They may then be 

 placed in a cold frame, shaded from the 

 sun, and protected from frost and wet. 

 Pot them again into 4^-inch pots, before 

 the roots become matted, and then begin 

 to give air daily, and keep them well 

 watered. 



By Division. The roots may be di- 

 vided from the crown downwards, taking 

 care to have a bud or two to each divi- 

 sion. Pot them, if too early to plant out, 

 or plant the division out at once in their 

 places, but not earlier than the middle of 

 April. 



By Seed Save the seed from such 

 double flowers as are partially fertile, 

 having bright distinct colours and good 

 form. Gather it as soon as ripe, and 

 hang the pods up in a dry place. When 

 the scales of the pod turn brown, sepa- 

 rate the seeds, dry them in the sun in 

 the morning only, and when dry store 

 them in a dry room. Sow them in March, 

 in shallow pans, and transplant the seed- 

 lings singly into small pots. As soon as 

 the frosts are passed, plant them out a 

 foot apart every way, and allow them to 

 flower. All bad- shaped or dull-coloured 

 throw away ; there is no hope of their 

 I improving by culture. Such as have good- 

 j formed petals and bright colours, though 

 not perfectly double, maybe kept another 

 year for a further trial ; and such as are 

 excellent should be propagated from the 

 young tops, to preserve the kinds, as the 

 old root might perish. 



Soil. The dahlia requires a rich, 

 deep, friable soil ; and, as the branches 

 are heavy and brittle, a sheltered situa- 

 tion should be chosen, neither too low 

 nor too high. The ground should be 

 trenched, if it will allow it, eighteen 

 inches or two feet deep, a good coating of 

 well-decomposed dung spread on the sur- 

 face after the trenching is completed, and 



