70 
moment they appear. The injury we have stated to 
arise from a sudden disbudding of the peach, does not 
apply to the vine, which would seem to show that the 
reciprocity between the root and the leaves is much later 
in action with the vine, which it appears unfolds and 
partially developes its shoots on the strength of its 
former resources. Stopping, too, will have to he prac- 
j tised towards the end of May ; and where shoots, by 
farther extension, would become crowded, their heads 
many be taken olf a joint or two beyond the fruit; and 
where naked spaces are to he covered, of course they 
may ramble until they have nearly covered tire allotted 
space, and then he immediately topped. 
R. Errington. 
THE ELOWEE-GARDEN. 
Dahlias. —Any process or expedient by which we 
can economize time, space, and pots, at this, perhaps, 
the most critical time of the whole year for the flower- 
garden, is assuredly worth fighting for. In the “ Com¬ 
panion to the Calendar” for April, I remarked that 
dahlias might be planted out any time that month as 
safely as potatoes, and our whole stock of them here, 
amounting to some hundreds, were in the borders by 
the middle of the month, after being started in heat, 
but never potted,—and this is how we went to work : 
Early in March all the dry roots were planted in pure 
sand, over a very slightly-heated bed, as close as they 
could be placed. Those roots of which we had more 
than we wanted were thus treated, as well the most 
scarce kinds. The temperature of the bed was about 
70° all the time. A ery shortly, the eyes of some began 
to sprout, for they were hardly covered with sand; and 
as soon as four or five eyes had pushed two inches, the 
root was pulled out of the sand, and reset in a similar 
bed of sand, in a cool pit, where no artificial heat w r as 
apjilied ; this sudden check put a stop to the first sti¬ 
mulus by heat, but still a low rate of growth was going 
on, and time was gained over the system of planting at 
first in a cool place, or at once in the open ground, and 
we all know that Dahlias can never come too soon, 
where only a display of flowers is the object. After 
the first remove, the bed was watched, and as soon as 
two inches of growth appeared in any of the roots, their 
removal took place instantly; and very early in April, 
the bulk of the stock went through the process of start¬ 
ing, and were then in a cool place. By the middle of 
the month, the whole were considered to have recovered 
from the check by removal, as, by that time, “they were 
pricking up their ears generally,” as the propagator 
observed, and that was the index to the right time of 
planting them out permanently. No matter how long 
rain continues, our soil is fit to work on after two fine 
dry days in the spring; and, notwithstanding that we 
have had five weeks of rain this spring, we could, and 
did plant out all our dahlias a few days after the rains 
were over. They were planted by the book, the stakes 
being first all placed where the roots were to be. No. 1 
comes in the first row, being the most dwarf of all the 
race, and so tree a bloomer, that we are tempted to use 
it as every second plant along the whole row, which 
holds about a hundred plants, fifty of which are Zela- 
nicas, the name ol this same old dahlia, which is as dark 
as Admiral Stopford, and as ragged as a colt, but still 
the best dwarf dahlia in England for the flower gardener, 
because it will associate with any of the colours or 
shades ol colours—make rows or beds by itself, or come 
in between two colours that would not otherwise agree, 
just as a white flower comes handy to get one out of a 
fix at bedding-out time. The dwarf fancy dahlias are 
not grown in beds halt so much as they deserve to be ; 
they answer that way tar better than the tall kinds 
trained down, as some people manage them. They are, 
[May 1. 
also, as well suited for growing, or rather for keeping in 
pots, to come in for “ second planting,” as any of the 
old tall ones. Although it is an easy way to plant out 
now, or sow such things as keep on flowering for the 
whole season, that is not the best way to make the most 
of a large flower-garden. Where circumstances will 
allow of it, I would prefer planting a certain number of 
the beds twice during the summer, for the sake of 
change, and also because one could use many showy 
things which cannot be seen where “ once-planting-anti- 
done-with ” is the fashion. 
Hollyhocks are over by the beginning of September, 
on the average of seasons; and when the stalks are cut 
down, how is a bed of them to look for the rest of the 
season? A mere wreck, at the best; and very likely that 
is the reason why they are not grown in beds generally, 
j There is nothing in the way of flowers—at any rate, in 
the flower-garden—more noble and handsome than a 
large bed of well-selected Hollyhocks in full bloom, and 
no bed can be too rich for them, neither can they ever 
have too much liquid-manure, if it is not too strong. As 
soon as they get past their best, they should be cut 
down, and the bed ought to be immediately replanted 
with a set of dahlias, kept in pots, and plunged in the 
reserve ground on purpose; that is just the way we 
manage two large beds of them here, and they are as 
much admired as any thing we grow. I would strongly 
advise a few dozens, or scores, or hundreds, as the case 
may require, of Dahlias to be kept in pots, ready to 
come in for second planting by the end of July, when 
many of the summer flowers are done with. 
It is little to the purpose to say there is no time, or 
pots, or space, for this preparation of Dahlias just now. 
1 am as much pinched in these essentials, at present, as 
any gardener in England can be, and the way I got 
over this job the other day, will be a good hint for 
many; at least, I hope so. One of the men planted out 
about four hundred Dahlias one afternoon, on purpose 
for potting. They were planted in “ the American beds,” 
along the outsides, and there they will grow at their 
leisure until our hurry is over, and the garden is planted 
before the end of May, and when we shall have more 
empty pots on hand than we know what to do with. 
Then, on some damp or dripping afternoon, these Dah¬ 
lias will be taken up, potted, and then plunged in beds 
out of sight, there to remain ready for use. 
Salvia ratens may be treated in all respects as these 
dahlias, that is, the plants may be put out any time in 
April, when the beds are ready for them, either after 
being first started a little in heat, or just as they come 
out from their winter quarters; but, like Dahlias, they 
come earlier into bloom if they have a little indulgence 
in March; and a lot of them may be planted out now 
i anywhere, to be ready for potting by the end of May, 
I or whenever you see that they have sucked up food 
| enough to cause them to grow in earnest. This is a 
j much better plan for them than potting them in the 
first instance, to say nothing of the difficulty of finding 
: room for the pots, till the season is warm enough for 
! them to stand out without getting pinched. 
! China Asters, Stocks, and Double Indian Pinks 
furnish almost an endless number of varieties for autumn 
flower beds, to come in after Cloves and Carnations, all 
i of which I would bundle out of the flower-garden as 
soon as they are past their prime. At that time they 
may be as safely transplanted as cabbages, and yet half 
the world are contented to let them remain till the hares I 
and rabbits nibble them off in the winter. If there was j 
any danger in removing them when they were going out 
of flower, or if pots, frames, or glasses, were required 
to get up a crop to succeed them, and carry on the 
bloom to October, there might be some show of reason 
in keeping blank beds; but nothing of the sort is [ 
needed. The first week in May is just the right time j 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
