On the cultivation of the Dahlia. 19 



weather, produces a humidity in the atmosphere, much more 

 congenial to the nature of the plant than can be accomplished 

 by any artificial means.* 



I admit that cultivators may obtain some very good flowers 

 from plantations made upon a dry, sandy soil, but neither will 

 the flowers be as abundant, or as large, as those upon plants 

 growing on the favorable location just noticed; and, if planted 

 upon a strong, rich soil, the cultivator will have a much more 

 vigorous growth of plants, but with a diminished quantity of 

 good blooms. 



These remarks will not apply to the striped and mottled 

 varieties, so far as regards the soil. An experiment which I 

 have tried the past summer, with that novel variety. Striata 

 formosissima, leads me to the conclusion, that to bring out 

 the colors, the plants will do better upon a poorer gravelly 

 soil, than elsewhere. The experiment was as follows: — 



No. 1, I planted in poor, gravelly soil, in an open situa- 

 tion, and all the flowers but two were beautifully mottled. 



No. 2, I planted upon a soil, as first recommended above, 

 and not one half of the flowers were mottled. 



No. 3. Three plants, very highly enriched, and every 

 bloom but one was self-colored. [The same results have 

 attended our own cultivation of the Striata formosissima. — Ed.] 

 Respectfully yours, 



T. DUNLAP. 



Harlem, JV. F., Mov. 10, 1840. 



* Of this, we think, there can be no doubt. Mr. Thorburn, of 

 New York, whose garden is situated at Astoria, L. I., nearly opposite 

 Hurlgate, immediately upon the East river, running to within twenty 

 feet of the water, has not failed, for several years, to produce an 

 abundant bloom; while cultivators in the interior, at Jamaica, and 

 at Brooklyn, and other places, have been unable to obtain a hundred 

 flowers from the same number of plants. But, as it is impossible 

 for most cultivators to avail themselves of such a situation, the best 

 means must be adopted for procuring flowers in such soil and situ- 

 ations as those who are admirers of the dahlia, possess. This will 

 undouljtedly be best eftected by [)lanting in the best soil and most 

 favorable aspect that the garden aflords. If the soil is sandy, it should 

 be well trenched, in order that it may retain moisture a greater length 

 of time, and allow the roots to penetrate more readily to a greater 

 depth, which will enable the plants to withstand drought. "When the 

 extent of a garden will allow of the choice of such a locality as 

 Mr. Dunlap recommends, it should at once be selected. — Ed. 



