No. 133.1 247 



a small compass. The method is to take a shoot of the required 

 dahlia, and insert it in a tuber of any other dahlia, seedling or 

 otherwise. The shoot ought to have four leaves formed on it. 

 It is then inserted as a wedge in one side of the tuber, the tops 

 first being cut off', or it has been done by inserting it in the solid 

 middle of the cut tuber. Some have tied up the graft with the 

 usual means employed in ordinary grafting, but it seems that if 

 the grafted tuber be placed in the ground, and the soil a little 

 heaped around, and coveing the cut tuber and its graft a little — 

 it will grow. The perishing of the tuber does not hurt the graft. 



The advantage of the graft is, above all, the speedy reproduc- 

 tion of it. The graft is generally rooted in eight or ten days. 

 The grafting can be done in the fall, when you can choose a 

 beautiful one — only give the graft suitable protection from the 

 •weather. 



The Dahlia succeeds best in a light sandy and not very rich 

 soil — such is that of Mexico from whence the dahlia came. An 

 airy por-ition suits it best. It does not love trees or buildings to 

 be near it. It likes a sloping better than a level surface. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM, {Gold Flower.) 



This beautiful flower was brought from China to Europe about 

 the year 1 790. The primitive plant the author of all the varieties, 

 is still esteemed among the finest, it is of a very deep brown pur- 

 ple color. We have now from that, hundreds of varieties of 

 flowers. These varieties are multiplied from the seeds. All the 

 flowers whether double or otherwise bear seeds. These should 

 be planted in a shady and sheltered situation. Although these 

 plants like free air and expos.ire, they do not yield good seed in 

 a close situation — but they bear seed with difficulty unless at the 

 period of flowering they are kept in perfect repose. The angle of 

 tAvo walks with a good exposure is good for them. The stems " 

 and l^ranches must be tied to supporters — and the flower branch- 

 es should be tied quite close to the flower, woolen yarn is good to 

 tie them with. The seeds should be sown immediately after 

 they are gathered. The plants grown from seed sown in Novem- 



