298 THE FLOWER-GARDEN, [chap. viii. 
of the crown, which has an eye in it. Some¬ 
times eyes are grafted in the herbaceous 
manner on blind tubers. 
The best soil for dahlias is a sandy loam, 
not too rich, as, in rich or moist soils, the 
plant will produce more stalks and leaves 
than flowers. Where the soil of the gar¬ 
den in which dahlias are to be planted is 
rich, or heavy, a quantity of sand or gravel 
should be mixed with it. Striped or varie¬ 
gated flowers will soon lose their markings if 
grown in rich soil. The tubers of the early 
kinds are planted in April, to flower in 
June; but those of the finer kinds are not 
planted till May and June. When they 
begin to grow, the side-shoots are removed 
from one foot to three feet from the ground; 
the principal stem is then either tied to a 
stake driven deeply and firmly into the 
ground, or the whole plant is drawn through 
a set of dahlia rings. Dwarf plants are 
frequently suffered to trail on the ground, 
and are pegged down, so as to cover the 
whole of the bed, with which treatment they 
look extremely well. In dry weather, the 
plants should be regularly watered, but not 
