41 



those particular florets of the disc, which have altered 

 their form, may have a greater tendency than others 

 to produce plants with double flowers. 



The young plants, pricked out into pots or boxes, 

 and left under cover in warmth until the end of April, 

 may be planted out then where they are to remain, 

 covering each plant for some time with an empty pot 

 at night, to avoid injury from spring frosts. Where 

 single dahlias have been planted the preceding year, 

 many young plants will arise from self-sown seeds ; 

 these may remain in their original place, or be re- 

 moved. The seedlings should be planted in rows 

 three feet apart, and two feet distant from each other 

 in the row ; this will allow sufficient space for a person 

 to walk between them to examine the different varie- 

 ties. Every alternate row may be two feet, if space 

 is an object, thus forming them into beds, leaving 

 plenty of room to look over them twice a week to 

 weed out the single flowers, thus giving sufficient 

 space for the promising plants to bloom in character. 

 They thrive best in rich loam, and require a clear open 

 space to grow in, the shelter of trees or of walls being 

 injurious to them. They seem to suffer in some gar- 

 dens, if planted often in the same place ; therefore, 

 where there is not space to enable the grower to move 

 their quarters in successive years, it will be advisable 

 to add some fresh maiden earth to the soil, when they 

 are to be continued in the same spot. As they are 



