DAH 



C 315 ] 



DAH 



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 mate- 

 rial, 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 pot- 

 ted in 3f -inch 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 

 separate 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 trans- 

 plant the seedlings 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 improving by 

 culture. Such as have good-formed 

 petals and bright colours, though not 

 perfectly double, may be 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 situ- 

 ation 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 surface after the trenching is com- 

 pleted, and immediately dug in one 

 spit deep. Lay the soil so mixed up in 

 slight ridges, to be levelled down just 

 before planting. 



Summer 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. To 

 grow them fine, and to obtain high 

 colours, they should have plenty of 

 room between each plant 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 might possibly 

 occur, 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-rotted littery stable dung ; 

 this will preserve them from drought, 

 and afford nutriment when the plants 

 are watered. 



Tying is a very important opera- 

 tion. 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 side 

 shoots must also be secured by longer 

 pieces of matting, to prevent the winds 

 and heavy rains from breaking them 

 off. It may sometimes be necessary 

 to place three or four additional stakes 

 at a certain distance from the central 

 one, to tie the side branches to. The 

 best kind of stakes are the thinnings 

 of larch plantations. They should be 



