440 Transactions of the Prussian Gardening Society. 



to be planted, are made 15 in. in diameter, and 15 in. in depth, 

 and filled with this soil ; and in these holes, so filled, the young 

 plants are turned out, or the old roots inserted. To retain the 

 moisture, and protect the root from excessive heat, the surface 

 is covered with moss. Liquid manure is applied two or three 

 times in the course of the summer. 



Position.- — Shelter from high winds is essentially necessary; 

 and, where masses of them are to be planted together, the 

 tallest growers must be planted farthest from the eye, and so 

 as not to overtop the dwarf sorts. M. Fintelman considers 

 dahlia as a particularly desirable plant for a new garden 

 the or shrubbery ; " because," says he, " it will grow in a rich, 

 moist soil, to the height of 1 6 ft. in two months, and yearly, 

 afterwards, to the same height in the same soils, provided 

 moisture and manure be abundantly supplied." 



We notice this as being somewhat at variance with the 

 experience of Mr. Smith, of the Horticultural Society's gar- 

 den, who states (Gard. Mag., p. 181.) " that if it is desirable 

 to have dahlias always in one situation, it is necessary to 

 renew the soil, by trenching it deeply the second, and taking 

 it out and replacing it the third and succeeding years." He 

 subjoins, " it will seldom be found advisable to add manure ; 

 fresh soil is all that is necessary." We may observe, in con- 

 firmation of M. Fintelmann's experience, that dahlias have 

 been grown in the flower-garden at Hy lands, on the same 

 soil, without trenching, manure, or fresh soil, for several 

 years ; and every year they have attained, though not to the 

 height of 1 6 ft., yet to as great perfection as the dahlias of 

 the Horticultural Society's garden, or as dahlias do attain to 

 in this country. This we were informed by Mr. John Smith, 

 the flower-gardener at Hylands, who, like his namesake of the 

 Horticultural Transactions, is a well-educated and most judi- 

 cious young gardener. We should be sorry, indeed, if any 

 one should be induced to neglect the culture of this fine au- 

 tumnal flower from an idea that renewing the soil is necessary ; 

 because it would not be easy to do this in extensive shrubberies, 

 where the dahlia is so great an ornament. We do not mean 

 to say, however, that fresh soil, which is of great advantage 

 in the culture of every other plant, is not likewise of great 

 advantage in the culture of the dahlia. 



" Es lassen sich damit auch besonders Gartenbefriedigun- , 

 gen oder Wande decken, und die Georgingen gewahren zug- 

 leich durch das mannigfaltige Farbenspiel von Schneeweiss bis 

 zum dunkelsten Violett, Purpur- und Schwarzlich-Bluthroth, 

 durch Schwefelgelb, Orange, und Scharlach in alien Schat- 



