370 
PRUNING THE DAHLIA. 
water, is a powerful purge in hydropic cases : 
Ranunculus Tliora has exceedingly acrid and 
poisonous roots : the roots of Actsea spicata 
are also antispasmodic and astringent : Xan- 
thorhiza apiifolia possesses a very pure tonic 
bitter property in the wood and bark ; an in- 
tensely bitter gum and resin are also contained 
in the plant. Several species of Ranunculus 
are powerfully acrid, producing blisters or 
ulcers in an hour and a half ; and the leaves 
of Clematis recta, C. vitalba, and G. Flam- 
nnla, possess similar properties, but not so 
powerful ; those of the two latter plants espe- 
cially, and of Ranunculus Flammula and R. 
sceleratus, are used by the beggars to form 
artificial ulcers ; they lose this property by 
drying or exposure to heat. In the southern 
parts of Africa, the leaves of Knowltonia ves- 
cicatoria, are used as vescicatories. The leaves 
of Helleborus fostidus are said to be very 
efficacious as a vermifuge. The leaves and 
stalks of Delphinum Consolida are employed 
in making some cosmetics, but not without 
danger ; those of several Aconi turns are nar- 
cotico-acrid poisons. The seeds of many pos- 
sess very active properties ; those of Pasonia 
officinalis are emetic ; the fruit of Aetata 
is poisonous ; the seeds of Delphinum Staphis- 
agria are extremely poisonous, owing that 
quality to a peculiar alkali called delphinia. 
Nigella has aromatic sub-acrid seeds, which 
have been used instead of pepper. 
A good many spices of this order are natives 
of Britain, and by far the largest portion of 
the order is found in Europe ; indeed the pro- 
portion found in Europe has been estimated at 
one-fifth of the whole order. North America 
possesses fewer, but still a good number of 
species, estimated at one-seventh ; South 
America has about one-seventeenth, and India 
one-twenty-fifth. Some few are found also in 
Africa and in New Holland. They affect a 
cool damp climate, and when met with in the 
tropics, it is on some elevated tracts — the sides 
or summits of lofty mountains. 
It would be out of place here, to enter so 
. far into the question of botanical affinities 
as to explain minutely what are the distin- 
guishing features between this order and those 
with which it admits of contrast ; it will be 
sufficient to mention them briefly : the most 
powerful and close relationship lies in the 
order Dilleniaceaj, Magnoliscea?, Papaveraceas, 
Nymphreacea?, and Umbelliferag : from the 
first it differs in the want of arilke, in habit, 
and in having a deciduous calyx ; from the 
second, in sensible qualities and want of sti- 
pules ; the third differs in having narcotic 
instead of acrid properties, and milky, not 
wateryfluids; and the fourth in having concrele 
carpels ; Umbelliferre differ in having the 
stamens always definite in number, and in 
having their calyx united with the ovarum. 
A more distant relationship exists between the 
order and Rosacea? and Sarraceniacee ; and 
some analogy has been traced between it and 
Alisraaceae, an order of Monocotyledons. 
PRUNING THE DAHLIA. 
A little practice is worth a good deal of 
theory; and while we leave to others the de- 
tails as to the probable why and wherefore, we 
shall simply give a few hints as to the mode 
we have successfully adopted in the pruning 
and training of the Dahlia. "We believe the 
practice of many, who cut their plants into 
mere skeletons, with a notion that the less the 
root has to do the larger the flowers come, is 
subsiding a good deal ; we have always repro- 
bated it. We have always felt confident that 
the flowers derive great nourishment from the 
leaves as well as from the roots, and have 
always acted on that supposition. We have 
invariably abstained from cutting off a single 
branch, unless two were in each other's way, 
in which case we removed the weakest, or it 
was coming too weak to bear a strong bloom, 
in which case it would do no good. It may 
be taken safely enough as a proved fact, that 
the less flowers there are permitted to perfect 
themselves on a branch the stronger the flowers 
will come, and the more there are the weaker 
they come, consequently there could be no 
mistake in thinning the buds ; but the Dahlia 
is monstrously uncertain, and if we reduced 
the buds as soon as they appeared we might 
remove those that would come perfect and 
leave those that would not. It is necessary, 
therefore, to allow the buds to advance far 
enough to promise a perfect bloom before we 
select those we mean to leave, and having 
made up our minds which afford the best 
chance of perfection, we may remove all those 
in the immediate neighbourhood. The benefit 
of this will be easily seen in the increased size 
and perfection of those left on the plant. And 
it is equally important that the instant we find 
a bloom is coming bad or unfit to show, or the 
instant it be gone by its perfect state, it should 
be taken off, because it is weakening the 
powers of the plant as long as it remains on. 
The first side shoots from the main stem will 
all yield large showable flowers, and therefore 
stakes should be driven to fasten them to as 
they grow, and they should be fastened so as 
not to be in each other's way. But when these 
side shoots throw out their lateral branches 
they would be too numerousfor all to remain on 
the plant, and therefore such of them as come 
weakly or can be spared without detriment to 
the plant, should be takep away while young, 
and so should all those that sprout out again 
