May.~] PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 97 
Lady Holland; from which period till 1830 it had but little 
notice in cultivation. Indeed, it seems to have been reserved 
for the intelligent growers of the last few years to bring it 
into general notice ; and if we take a retrospective view of 
the rapid progress of Dahlia culture within these last five 
years, we will be led to exclaim, " Where will all this termi- 
nate V But time alone can solve the question ; at present it 
is impossible to come to any satisfactory conclusions. Only 
a few years ago, and who would have conceived the idea of 
having tipped, striped, and spotted Dahlias of almost every 
hue and colour; and although historical writers on the genus 
alluded to the improbability of a blue flower ever being pro- 
duced, yet it is not unreasonable to imagine that ere long we 
will have flowers beautifully and distinctly striped with black 
and white, and even combining the gaudy colours of the tulip, 
or the choicest hues of the carnation ; perhaps the criteria of 
character may change to those of huge globular forms or 
balls — nay, even the odour of the Rose or the Jasmine may 
be imparted, and what then ? Only let amateurs and culti- 
vators persevere with the spirit they have done during the 
last few years, and we think all we have advanced will be 
realized. 
Propagation. — This operation may be performed in vari- 
ous ways, either by division of the root, by cutting off the 
young shoots, or by grafting. For general planting, division 
of the root will be sufficient ; about the first of the month the 
old root, entire, should be planted in some warm and shel- 
tered spot of the garden, covering it with sand, vegetable 
mould, or any light soil ; in about two weeks the eyes or 
young shoots will have sprouted : then it will be properly 
seen how they can be most carefully divided ; the root should 
be carefully cut into as many pieces as there are eyes or 
sprouts, leaving only one tuber to each, when they can be 
planted into the situation appropriated for their blooming. 
Propagation by Cuttings. — Prepare a hot-bed in March, 
as therein described, and place a frame and lights of the 
required size upon it ; scatter over the surface of the bed four 
or five inches of sand, old bark, or any light soil ; after four 
or five days, the fresh steam will have subsided, when the 
roots may be laid thereon, covering them (but not over the 
crowns) with light sandy soil; but where large pots can be 
obtained, I prefer planting them in the pots ; by this means 
9 
