DAHLIA 



DAISY oSdEB 



521 



Storing. — By October or as soon as 

 the stems have been killed down by frosts, 

 the tuberous roots should be dug up care- 

 fully, leaving about 6 in. of the old stems. 

 The soil should be shaken away, the 

 plants carefully labelled if it is desired 

 to keep the varieties distinct, and then 

 stored away in a dry cool airy place 

 where they wiU be free from frost during 

 the winter. They should be overhauled 

 occasionally and any rotten portions cut 

 away. 



Propagation. — Dahlias are increased 

 by dividing the tuberous roots, by cuttings, 

 and by seeds. The latter are produced 

 freely by the single varieties and may be 

 sown in gentle heat about March. The 

 seedlings may be put singly into small 

 pots and grown on till June, when they 

 may be transferred to the open border 

 where they are intended to bloom. New 

 varieties may be obtained in this way, but 

 as with many other florists' flowers the 

 great majority will not be an improvement 

 on existing varieties. 



Where novelties are not required, the 

 plants may be quickly increased by 

 cuttings as follows : — 



The tubers are taken from their 

 storage quarters and placed in a heat of 

 60°-70° Fahr., about February or March, 

 slightly covered with soil, and gently 

 syringed every day. Stout, sturdy shoots 

 are soon produced, and each one of these 

 may be detached with a sharp knife and 

 inserted in a small pot with sandy soil. 

 It wUl root in a few days, and may be 

 gradually hardened off and grown on until 

 planting-out time. "Where cuttings are in 

 abundance it will save time to put several 

 of them into a shallow box or pan. In 

 summer time the young side shoots will 

 also root freely if treated in the same 

 way. 



In very rare cases Dahlias are grafted 

 in winter, but probably more as an experi- 

 ment than anything else. A shoot, taken 

 from a plant grown in a greenhouse, is 

 inserted into a slit made in a healthy 

 tuber, and the stock and graft are firmly 

 secured and covered with clay or wax. 

 The whole is then potted up and kept in a 

 close frame with a just sufficiently high 

 temperature, 60°-70° Fahr., to assist the 

 action of the sap. "When the union is 

 complete the plant may be given more 

 light and air, and in the spring time cut- 

 tings may be secured from it and rooted 

 as above described. 



Insect Pests. — "Wherever Dahlias grow 

 earwigs are almost surely found. These 

 insects are very mischievous. They eat 

 out the young shoots, and also destroy 

 the florets among which they nestle. 

 Small pots with a little hay or moss are 

 usually placed bottom upwards on the top 

 of the stakes. The earwigs nest in these, 

 and if examined frequently many may be 

 caught and shaken into a bucket of boiling 

 water. Hollow Hemlock, Broad Bean, 

 or Elder stems closed at one end have also 

 been suggested as good earwig traps. 



The following is a list of the natural 

 species of Dahlia. They are all natives of 

 Mexico. 



D. coccinea {D. hidenUfoKa ; Geor- 

 gi/na Cervantesi). — A plant 3-4 ft. high, 

 with roughish pinnate leaves. Flowers in 

 autumn, ray florets scarlet, disc yellow ; 

 outer bracts of involucre 5, reflexed. 



Culture dc. as above. Seeds are 

 ripened freely in our climate. 



D. gracilis. — Grows 4-5 ft. high, dis- 

 tinct and graceful in habit, with smooth 

 twice pinnate leaves, having ovate coarsely 

 crenate leaflets. Flowers in summer and 

 autumn, brilliant orange-scarlet. 



Culture dc. as above. Seeds are 

 ripened freely in our climate. 



D. imperialis. — A remarkable plant 

 10-12 ft. high. It rarely flowers in the 

 open air, but its large and beautiful leaves 

 make it a desirable plant for the summer. 

 It must be removed to a greenhouse by 

 the end of September or October for flower- 

 ing. Flowers white tinged with lilac, 

 and streaked with blood-red at the base, 

 drooping, bell-shaped, in large panicles. 



Culture dc. as above. Seeds are 

 ripened freely La our climate. 



D. Juarezi. — A fine Dahlia about 3 ft. 

 high, with brilliant scarlet overlapping 

 florets, varying in length. See paragraph 

 above on Cactus or Decorative Dahlias. 



Culture dc. as above. Seeds are 

 ripened freely in our climate. 



D. Mercki (J), glabrata). — A beautiful 

 plant 2-4 ft. high, with 3-lobed toothed 

 leaves. Flowers in October, white and 

 yellow or lilac and yellow, rather small. 

 The variety deccdsneana has pinnate 

 leaves and purple flowers with a golden 

 centre. 



Culture dc. as above. Ripens seeds 

 freely. 



D. variabilis {D. crocata; D. super- 



