THE CANADIAN HORTICDLTUEI8T. 



85 



J^lotD^rs. 



THE CULTIVATION OF THE DAHLIA. 



BT HKRMAKN SIMMERS, TORONTO, GST. 



Many readers of The Horticulturist 

 taay not be aware that this is the pro- 

 per month to look after the pre- 

 paring of their Dahlia roots, in 

 ■order to secure their early bloom, 

 and its continuance until frost has 

 spoilt its splendour. We will pre- 

 sume that amateurs have placed 

 their roots away in the fall to be 

 ready for their proper attention in 

 the spring ; and, on looking for 

 them, will have found a very large 

 number of tubers attached to the 

 stem, which in some cases are 

 hanging loosely. If any art? found 

 to be in such a condition, they 

 may be cut off, as they are in no 

 way beneficial to the plant. 



If the roots then have been 

 carefully wintered, they may be 

 cut apart, into four or five divi- 

 sions of one or two tubers each, 

 care being taken that a certain 

 portion of the stem, with an eye, 

 is attached ; after which they may 

 be planted in a box, or better still, 

 in a hot-bed, until the new stem 

 grows 3 or 4 inches in length. This 

 may probably take until the 1st of 

 June, at which time they may safely 

 be planted in the open ground. A 

 word here before going into fui'ther de- 

 tails ; many amateurs suppose that the 

 larger the number of tubers that are 

 attached to the root, the better they 

 will grow ; but not altogether so, as 

 invariably the gardener cuts a large 

 root into as many as a dozen parts. 

 But I would not advise the amateur to 

 do so, as sometimes he would not be 

 able to manage them as well, and when 

 the roots are small it would be better 

 for him to take the instructions given 

 above. If the roots that have been 

 placed in a hot-bed or box have sent 



out two or three stems, they may be 

 cut off and grown the same as any 

 other cuttings are grown ; and these 

 cuttings when planted at their proper 

 time will flower the same season. 



In planting Dahlias in the open 

 ground it should be done so that the 



BUNCH OF DAHLIAS. 



top of the tubers are covered at least 

 two inches, in a well manured soil ; 

 and when the stem has reached the 

 lieight of about two feet, any side shoots 

 sliould be cut off, allowing the root to 

 have but one stem, and cultivating 

 further somewhat in the form of a dwarf 

 apple tree, which they resemble when 

 in full growth. It is also a wise precau- 

 tion to place a good sti'ong stake beside 

 the root when planting, to which they 

 may be tied from time to time, as they 

 develop. To further the development 

 of the Dahlia a liberal supply of water 

 continuously through the season is 

 necessary. 



