CHAP, yin.^j 
DAHLIAS. 
29 9 
too abundantly. When the leaves and stalks 
are killed by the frost, they should be directly 
cut down; but the tubers may be left in the 
ground a little longer, as, if taken up too 
soon, they will shrivel, and often become 
rotten. When taken up, they should be 
kept in a dry place, and covered with a mat 
to exclude the frost. 
All the dahlias now in our gardens, nume¬ 
rous as they are, have sprung from two 
kinds, both natives of Mexico, viz.—D. pin- 
nata, or variabilis, all the varieties of which 
are purple, crimson, rose-coloured,. lilac, or 
white ; and D. coccinea, the varieties of 
which are scarlet, orange, or yellow. 
It is remarkable, that notwithstanding the 
numerous varieties that have been raised of 
these two species, there have never been any 
hybrids raised between them. Many at¬ 
tempts have been made, but all the plants 
raised have partaken exclusively of the qua¬ 
lities of one or the other of the parents, and 
none have partaken equally of both, as is the 
case with true hybrids. There are many 
other kinds mentioned in books, the most 
remarkable of which is the tree dahlia, D. 
