Herbaceous and Bedding Plants 



Dahlia imperialis. 



DAHLIA. 



The Dahlia is a popular genus of 

 only a few species, all natives of 

 Mexico. Dahlia variabilis is prob- 

 ably the species from which most of 

 the show Dahlias have originated, 

 while Dahlia Jaurezii is the original 

 of the Cactus section, the varieties of 

 which have become so popular. As 

 Dahlia imperialis is such a late 

 bloomer, no varieties of this, of any 

 great merit, have as yet been intro- 

 duced. 



Dahlias are among the best of our 

 Summer and Autumn-flowering 



plants, and are now considered indispensable in garden decora- 

 tion, whether the garden is large or small. With care and 

 attention they may be had in flower from May until late in 

 November. The first planting should be done early in March, 

 and a second planting (which should be of Spring-struck 

 cuttings) ought to be made about June 1st. The first planted 

 will bloom from May until late in the Fall, and the second will 

 begin flowering in August, continuing in flower, if the old 

 flowers are picked off and the small weak shoots thinned out, until 

 November. 



To grow the Dahlia well requires good soil not too stiff, well- 

 enriched with half- rotted horse- or cow-manure. The ground on 

 which the Dahlia is to be grown should be trenched two spades 

 deep, the manure being freely mixed with the soil. Before 

 planting, the ground should be staked off, and the varieties 

 grouped according to their color and height, their respective 

 positions being fixed, so that, when they come in bloom, the 

 whole will be a pleasing blending of color and form. Before 



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