CULTURE OF FLORIST FLOWERS. 7l 



Propagation. There are various methods of increasing 

 the Dahlia, as by seed, cuttings, dividing the roots, and by 

 grafting. To obtain new varieties, florists have recourse to 

 the saving of seed from their best varieties, approaching the 

 nearest qualifications to such varieties as those which it is 

 their object to raise for a new variety, having something dif- 

 ferent in color or variety from those already in being ; those 

 kinds are then denominated seedlings, or new Dahlias, and 

 are named by the person who first produces them, as, for in- 

 stance, Sayers' General Harrison, Young's alba purpurea, 

 Brown's Bridesmaid, &c. 



Seedlings. The method of raising seedling Dahlias, is 

 simply to sow the seed, in the same manner as recommended 

 for any other plants, and planting out the young plants into a 

 bed for flowering in the fall, in the same way as recom- 

 mended for other perennial plants. When those have flow- 

 ered, the cultivator generally selects the best kinds, to save 

 for another trial, and the useless single varieties, of which 

 there are generally many, are discarded without any more 

 care or culture. 



Cuttings. When choice varieties are desired to be abun- 

 dantly increased, they are often propagated by cuttings, by 

 planting the stool, or entire roots, into large pots, or into a 

 hot-bed, early in the spring. When they have made shoots 

 three or four inches in length, they are to be taken off at a 

 joint, and put into small pots singly; or the cuttings may be 

 put into large pots, in the same manner as directed for Ge- 

 raniums, or other cuttings belonging to the green-house; 

 (which see, under the head of " Striking cuttings of Green- 

 house Plants.") When the plants are well rooted, they may 

 be shifted into larger pots and planted out, in the same man- 

 ner as directed for other roots, at the proper season. 



Dividing the roots may be effected in the spring, so soon 

 as it is a proper time for planting out. The method is simply 

 to divide the crown, in such a manner as directed under the 

 head of propagating " Tuberous 



