428 
PREPARING DAHLIAS FOR EXHIBITION. 
such accident. Thirdly, as all the growth of the 
branch that is above a flower weakens it, and 
all the buds beyond it deprive it of nourish- 
ment, the growth of the branch requires 
checking, and the buds should be removed. 
As a general principle, the pruning of a plant 
increases the strength of the remaining parts; 
but this may be carried too far, and by many 
persons extremes are adopted to increase the 
size of the flowers. We do no more, and re- 
commend no more to be done, than removing 
the weakly shoots that come in many sorts too 
numerous, and taking away the branches that 
are in the way of others. The plant derives 
as much nourishment through the leaves as 
through the root, and therefore should not be 
deprived of more leaves than we can help. See 
what a world of good comes of a shower of 
rain that does not even wet the ground be- 
neath the plant ; and what does this suggest ? 
Why, a garden-engine, well applied about the 
foliage of the plants, will be more beneficial at 
times than liberal waterings on the ground ; 
and with regard to watering at all, it ought 
to be well understood that a good soaking of 
the ground, all over, once a-week, is better 
than such as they too frequently have would be 
twice a-day. While, therefore, we admit that 
judicious pruning may be beneficial, it is, ge- 
nerally speaking, done too much. 
We come now to shading — for the burning 
sun of summer and autumn would almost dry 
up a flower. Various are the contrivances 
for this operation. The generality of growers 
for show, cover them up with a pot Irom the 
time the bud shows favourably. The bud is 
placed in the centre of a small slab of wood, 
which is supported by one stake or more in a 
horizontal position, and a flower-pot, with the 
hole stopped, put over it until it blooms out its 
best. The flowers, however, which are grown 
in the dark, lose, or rather never acquire, their 
natural colour, and are never so brilliant, nor 
do they travel so well, as a flower grown with 
all the advantage of the full air. Those who 
take extraordinary pains will uncover occa- 
sionally; and others have a pot with a false 
bottom, so that they can remove it and put 
glass in its place, by which they at least en- 
sure light. The method of placing the bud 
in the centre is simple : a slit, wide enough to 
pass the stalk, is cut in the slab, half-way 
through or across it, so that the stem is passed 
along it with the bud at top, and the slit is 
generally stuffed up all the way with moss or 
cotton, to keep it in the centre. It is intended 
that this should be an effectual bar to the ap- 
proach of earwigs, but not one pot in a hun- 
dred will fit close enough to do this unless the 
rim of the pot be ground on a flat stone. 
The covering of blooms is supposed to pre- 
vent the checks which flowers sustain in all 
great changes of weather, in drying winds, 
burning sun, and any excessive wet. How- 
ever, if the ground in which dahlias are grown 
is saturated with water, and the foliage sprin- 
kled with the engine in tlie evening, there will 
always be good flowers on the shady side, that 
only require to be fastened to a stake that they 
may not blow about, and the adjacent branches 
trimmed or fastened back, that they may not 
be blown against the flowers. Blooms of this 
kind will be far more brilliant, not quite so 
large, but travel much better, and last longer, 
than any that have been shaded. Some grow- 
ers place the bud into the horizontal table 
downwards ; this effectually shades them, and 
keeps off wet and falls of any sort, but they 
are open to the attacks of earwigs and cater- 
pillars, from which the pot well fitted will often 
shield them. 
Independent of growing the flowers well, 
there is a good deal in the choice of them, and 
after that still moi-e in the display or setting 
up. The stand of flowers should be as much 
varied as possible ; and besides this they 
should be set up uniform, that is, if there be a 
light flower at one end of a row, there should 
be a light flower at the other ; and if there be 
light, flowers at the ends of the top row, there 
should be dark ones at the ends of the second, 
and light at the ends of the lower or front row. 
Again, dark flowers should be placed next to 
light, except in the middle two of each row, 
which, to be uniform, must be dark or light, 
or nearly the same depth of colour. Those 
who take some pains with this may make a 
stand look very much better than the same 
flowers would do if differently arranged. But 
this has been so often urged, that it seems a 
work of supererogation to mention it again, 
although from its great importance it can 
hardly be too much brought forward, until it 
is made the aim of everybody who exhibits. 
Dahlias should be carried in boxes, in their 
proper tubes, and so placed that they cannot 
be shaken. The very best mode of fixing them 
is to make stoppei's of potatoes, cut into the 
form of corks, and with a hole through them 
to receive the stem, which may be wedged 
in its place by means of cutting off, in a sloping 
manner, a piece of the stem, and fixing it, 
wedge-like, in the under part ; then thrust 
in the cork to its tube, and drop it into its 
place in the travelling-shelf or board, which 
should be the same size in the holes as the 
stands in which the flowers are to be shown ; 
so that in setting up you have only to remove 
the flowers with the tubes and stoppers, and 
drop them into the holes of the stand you show 
in. The best way is to arrange them before 
you start from home, so that you have no care 
when you get to the place of exhibition. You 
have both time, and quiet undisturbed oppor- 
