CUT FLOWEES. 135 



towards the old favourites ; and although they are not so use- 

 ful for general purposes as the other sections, still they pro- 

 duce a splendid effect on an exhibition table, and command 

 the notice and admiration of all true lovers of beauty and 

 symmetry in flowers. The following selections of Fancy, Show, 

 and Single varieties, including all colours, are among the best 

 in their respective classes for the purpose of exhibition : — 



Fancij Dahlias. — Annie Richard, Flora Wyatt, George Barnes, Henry 



Glascock, James O'Brien, Lottie Eckford, Mrs. A. HoUs, Mrs. 



Saunders, Polly Sandell, Prince Henry, Professor Fawcett, and 



Romeo. * 



Show Dahlias. — Alexander Cramond, Clara, Emperor, Goldfinder, 



Henry Walton, Herbert Turner, James Huntley, J. N. Keynes, 



Julia Wyatt, Mrs. Gladstone, Mrs. Langtry, and Mrs. W. Slack. 

 Single Dahlias. — Amos Perry, James Kelway, Miss Gladstone, 



Miss Maxton, Mrs. Bowman, Mrs. Fergusson, Mrs. H. M. 



Stewart, Terra-Cotta, T. S. Ware, Volunteer, White Paragon, 



and William Potter. 



The proper cultivation of the Dahlia is of the greatest im- 

 portance to the exhibitor, and requires a considerable amount 

 of attention, perseverance, and skill to ensure success. _ To 

 grow it for exhibition, a rather stiff loamy soil, richly manured, 

 is the best. The ground must be well trenched the previous 

 winter, at least two spits deep, at the same time giving it a 

 liberal quantity of thoroughly made manure. About the end 

 of May it should again be dug or forked over, breaking it well 

 in the operation. Then lay it out in rows running north and 

 south, with a distance of four to five feet between each, and 

 not more than four feet between the plants. Stakes should be 

 driven into the ground where the plants are to be put, to 

 which they must be tied as they grow to prevent them being 

 broken by the wind. In preparing the plants, the roots 

 should be placed in heat to start about the end of April, 

 giving them a tpmperature of 56°, and taking care not to 

 allow them to get dry, which tends to throw them into pre- 

 mature bloom. This method of selecting fine plump roots and 

 starting them with a single stem in preference to cuttings is 

 adopted by competitors with the utmost success. When the 



