18 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AN1) COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, April 12, 1859. 
of the best, it is peculiarly unfitted for hedgerow timber | 
ou account of its roots, like the Ash, running so near the 
surface of the ground, aud thus preventing all healthy 
growth beneath them. 
It may be only a crude idea, and one that scarcely i 
deserves mentioning, yet I cannot help thinking that I 
might have had more water in this pond if the improve¬ 
ments had not been made, and the hedgerows and open 
culverts had been left as they were. At any rate, I 
should have expected a moderate supply from heavy 
thunder-showers in summer ; though but little of that, 1 
fear, unless in extreme cases, will find its way to, and run 
from, the deep drains. I shall certainly be agreeably dis¬ 
appointed if the pond be filled before the rains and snows 
of a succeeding winter. It would not. be difficult to find 
cases where farmers and gardeners, who never knew 
any trouble about water before, had to be at great ex¬ 
pense for carting it last season, without any prospect of 
matters being improved for the coming summer. Ho 
doubt, the great diminution of the rain-fall explains this 
matter; but the question is a very important one, how 
far the process of improvement, in clearing and levelling 
hedgerows, and throwing a dozen of large fields into one, 
and draining them, so as to have the ground warmer and 
drier, have contributed to that diminished rain-fall by 
lessening the amount of moisture raised from the surface 
by evaporation, and again lessening the number of the 
elevated condensers of that moisture, whenever their 
small points became much colder than the surrounding 
atmosphere. 
These improvements are so apparently advantageous, 
that, but for this water-question, there could not be the 
semblance of a drawback ; but in all cases where water is 
likely to be scarce, part of the water from drains, instead 
of being lost, should be preserved in small pools formed at 
convenient places, in the simplest and most economical 
manner, such as puddling the sides and bottom with clay, 
or even earth, and then covering the inside all over with 
turf before the water is admitted; and preserving in 
similar places, and, better still, in brick tanks, the water 
that falls from buildings of all descriptions, especially if 
covered with glass, slate, or tiles, instead of thatch. Rain 
water, if clean, is the best for all purposes ; and, especially 
if exposed to the atmosphere, it is the best friend to the 
gardener. There are few gardens, even in elevated places, 
where a tithe of the water that could bo thus procured 
and kept is carefully saved. With the exception of a 
few small cisterns, or tanks, that will hold a few days’ con¬ 
sumption, the great thing has been easily to get rid of 
the rain water, instead of preserving it; and then there 
comes grumbling upon grumbling when horse-power and 
water-carts must be employed to bring liquid to keep 
plants and crops from perishing, when plenty of water, 
with a little looking a-head, and one outlay, might be 
secured near at hand. In gardens of any extent, a great 
deal of pure water could be obtained from houses and 
sheds, and secured in large brick cement tanks. Much, 
also, for common purposes, might be secured from hard 
roads and walks, and spaces between houses and pits, 
which, collected in a pool, or pond, out of the way, would 
do for common purposes. I wish I had more, or larger, 
conveniences of these kinds. Upon what I have, I have 
been depending entirely for months. I fear they will be 
exhausted before planting-out time in May ; but one thing 
respecting them is so far cheering, that every heavy 
shower will add a little to their contents, when no liquid 
during the summer could be expected from deep, under¬ 
ground drains. There is an old proverb, that “ to be 
forewarned is to be forearmed.” If this season should 
prove at all like the last, the great want in gardening, in 
many places, will be water. In this neighbourhood, 
many of the wells, even in valleys, arc dry ; and rivulets 
are small in comparison with what they used to be. 
Without very heavy rainfalls directly, there is little 
chance of the springs rising before winter. Knowing all 
this, we cannot do much in the way of arming ourselves 
against consecpiences. lint if we use economically and 
without waste what we now have, and continue to save 
up as much as we can from every shower that visits us, 
then, whatever be the result, we shall, at least, escape the 
evil of unpleasant self-reproaches. 11. Pish. 
THE DAHLIA. 
Br the time this is perused by our readers, the season will be 
sufficiently advanced to plant out old kinds of Dahlias that arc 
merely wanted to make a show in the mixed flower-border or the 
shrubbery. If it is necessary or desirable to increase them, then 
take a root, and divide it into two or four parts, taking care to 
leave at least a pair of buds to each division ; also, be mindful lo 
cut the tubers as little as you can. Make a good-sized hole 
where each division is to be planted, and throw in a couple of 
spadesful of good rotten dung at the bottom; put a little soil 
over it, and mix it well up with the soil at the bottom of the 
hole; then plant the tuber, covering it about two inches. I 
have found Dahlias so planted grow stronger and flower better 
than the same kinds started intolgrowth in heat, and kept warm 
till they were grown considerably. In that state they are apt to 
be blown about by the wind, and often broken and mauled dread¬ 
fully, even if they escape frost. 
Newer kinds—of which the grower has, perhaps, only one root 
—will now be sending up shoots. If there arc plenty spring¬ 
ing, the shoots may be slipped off, each kind named as it is 
gathered, and then planted in separate small pots in sand plunged 
in heat. Such cuttings, or slips, strike quickly ; and as soon as 
roots are emitted they should be potted off directly, and gradually 
hardened to bear full exposure, if, however, any scarce kind 
only sends up one or two shoots, then it will be necessary to take 
a sharp knife and cut the shoot off above the two lowest buds; 
such cuttingB to be treated exactly the same as the slips above 
mentioned. The buds left will soon spring up ; and, if increase is 
wanted, may be cut oft’ and struck in the same manner. It is 
not, however, a good practice to carry on this severe mode of 
increase too often or too far ; for the shoots then come weak, and 
the plants will be weak also. 
Now being the time to order in the new kinds, no time should 
be lost in sending the names of the sorts wanted. 
As soon as they arrive, place them under a cold frame or pit 
for a few days till they recover the effects of the journey : then 
repot them, and replace them in the frame, and let them grow on 
for a fortnight, giving plenty of air and water to encourage a 
strong growth. If you are fortunate enough to get them early, 
and have plenty of convenience, a second potting would be of great 
service previous to planting them out in their blooming quarters. 
To obtain fine bloomers this care is necessary. Many growers 
plant them out from the small pots they arrive in; and the con¬ 
sequence is, the plants do not grow strong, and flower late and 
weak. Hence the sort is too often condemned as almost worth¬ 
less, and the dealer unjustly blamed. I know some dealers work 
their bulbs so hard, and the plants they send out are so slender, 
that there is little chance of their doing anything the first year. 
I would advise all purchasers to give their orders to respectable 
men; and they will then get good stout plants, which, with a 
little trouble in repotting as described above, will be sure to bloom 
well and true to character. 
In planting out, I think a few cautions necessary. Always 
take care to have the ground well-worked and well-manured, and 
in n sheltered situation. If wet, it should be thoroughly drained, 
and the beds in such a situation should be raised considerably 
above the general level. If the soil is dry and shallow, it should 
have a larger quantity of rich soil and manure added to it. Then 
the distance from plant to plant should be sufficient to allow 
room for the side-stakes—nothing is gamed by planting too thick. 
As a general rule, I would recommend six feet from row to row, 
and five feet from plant to plant in the row. 
When I plant Dahlias out to grow for exhibition, I first drive 
stakes firmly down just where each plant is to be placed. Then 
I plant them out; the tall ones in a back row, and lesser ones 
next, with the lowest growers in front. I book the names of the 
kinds as they occur in each row, so that no mistake can possibly 
occur afterwards. When they have made considerable growth, I 
lay round each plant a mulching of half-rotted dung. T his keeps 
the soil cool and moist; and, when rain falls, or watering is 
