Dahlia 



( 277 ) 



Dahlia 



under glass, and finally hardened before being 

 jilanti'il out. The tubers will produce cuttings for 

 some time. The cuttings should be as sturdy as 

 possible. The tubers may also be divided, but each 

 part must have an eye attached. Dahlias are also 

 easily raised from seeds sown in heat in early 

 spring and pricked off into single pots when large 

 enough. If grown on without a check, and planted 

 out in June, they will flower that year. Cuttings 

 of side shoots struck in pots in summer form " pot- 

 roots" for another season. 



Dahlia ought to have liberal supplies of water, and 

 occasionally of liquid manure, although this may 

 easily be overdone, with the effect of causing gross 

 growth and fewer flowers. Thinning out is 

 generally desirable when large blooms are wanted, 

 but there is a considerable difference in the habit 

 of plants, and their individual requirements in this 

 respect must be studied. Flowers for exhibition 

 must be protected from the weather and from 

 strong sun, if they are to be kept back for shows. 

 For this purpose some use hollow cardboard 



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J'lwto: Ca8*tU Company. Ltd. 



DAHLIA STARFISH, SCARLET CACTI'S VAHIETY (see p. 278). 



Soil. For the cultivation of the Dahlia a rich, 

 well-manured soil is necessary, but the manure 

 ought not to be freshly applied to the soil, or gross 

 growth will result. It is desirable that the beds 

 should be deeply trenclicd and well manured the 

 previous autumn. Light soils ought to be en- 

 riched by the addition of good loam. 



Planting. The end of May or the beginning of 

 June is usually the best time to plant out Dahlias, 

 but they should have careful attention at first, and 

 protection, if necessary, from late frosts. The 

 principal stakes should be placed in position before 

 planting, and the stems secured to them with some 

 soft tying material. The ground must be made 

 firm about the plants, which maybe placed from 

 5' to 0' apart. 



Other Cultural Points. When growing, the 



cones or oiled canvas caps, and others apply pots. 

 Each branch should be secured singly to the 

 stakes. 



Enemies. The first enemy the grower ha* to 

 contend with is usually the slug, which is very 

 troublesome to young plants. Some fresh lime and 

 soot round the plant will help to keep slugs away, 

 but hand-picking at night should also be attended 

 to. A more reliable precaution is to put a zinc 

 ling with notched edges round the plants, sinking 

 it in the ground so that the slugs cannot go under- 

 neath. The cuckoo-spit or frog-hopper (Tfttigonia 

 spumaria) is often troublesome at a later M.ILTI', 

 and the froth-like substance should be taken off 

 before the insect emerges. The greatest niciny, 

 however, is the earwig, which is very injurious to 

 buds lind flowers. A flower pot placed on the top 



