SOIL — ARRANGEMENT. 



99 



large tumbler will do), and in two weeks it will have taken 

 root; the glass may then be removed^ and the plant gradually 

 inured to the open air. 



Soil. As far as my observations enable me to judge, the 

 soil best adapted for -the Dahlia is a sandy loam, not reten- 

 tive of moisture, and not too rich, as they will grow to leaves 

 and branches, producing few flowers, and even then imper- 

 fect : not too poor, as in such they will be very indiflerent, 

 meagre in size and general appearance. Where soils are 

 rich and heavy, a portion of sand or gravel should be mixed 

 in the soil where they are planted : but if poor, incorporate 

 with the sand well decomposed manure; and when the plants 

 are planted, a stick in proportion to the plant should be put 

 with it, and at least eighteen inches in the ground, and not 

 less than two inches in diameter, to which they must be care- 

 fully tied as they grow, never allowing more than one stem 

 to each plant; and the side branches should be cut off from 

 one to three feet from the ground, according to the height of 

 the plant. Emperor de Maroc, the most favorite crimson 

 Dahlia, tipped with white, comes invariably true to its 

 character in sandy soil^ whereas, in rich heavy soil, it is fre- 

 quently only crimson. The worst of all soils for the Dahlia 

 is a rich loam retentive of moisture; in such they grow to 

 wood and foliage, producing few and very imperfect flowers. 



The best disposition or arrangement in planting the 

 Dahlia, I think, is in groups; each group should be com- 

 posed of a different section of color : this affords a close 

 comparison, and gives greater diversity of landscape than 

 combining the colors; the tallest growing sorts should be 

 carefully planted in the centre or at the back of each group. 

 The roots should be planted from three to four feet from 

 each other every way. But where they are planted in rows 

 along walks or avenues, two or three feet will be a suflicient 

 distance from plant to plant. Individual plants look ex- 

 tremely well if they are of a dwarf habit. To have a con- 

 tinued succession of bloom, there should be two plantings; 

 the first about the fifteenth of the month, and the latest 

 about the end of June; it is the June' planting that gene- 

 rally produces the finest flowers; this fact (though lately 

 discovered) is now well understood by some cultivators, and 

 is easily accounted for. When plants are forced and planted 

 early^ they are in a flowering state much earlier^ to be sure^ 



