Amongst florist flowers none maintains a more eminent standing in public regard than the Dahlia. Looking at it in every enjoyable aspect, it is certainly worthy of the high esteem in which it is held. Do we wish an object bold and massive, stately and unique? do we desire a grand floral row, a centre to a clump of lesser flowers? For these purposes, as well as its arrangement into large masses, its adaptability is most perfect.

We could swell this paper to an unusual length were we to attempt to describe all the qualities of the Dahlia. The Dahlia is a native of Mexico, and was brought to England in the September of 1789 by the Marchioness of Bite, who brought it from Spain; but when it was introduced from its native habitation to that country I am unable to say. Some people credit a German named Dalil (a botanist) with the meritorious service. But I am not going to attempt its history, but to describe its culture.

Propagation

In referring to the different modes by which the Dahlia is multiplied, we will first describe that of propagation by cuttings taken from the roots of the previous year's plants. Those roots, whether they have been wintered in a stable-loft, a dry-room, below the greenhouse stage, or in any other convenient place, should now (Feb .1) be in a proper condition for starting into fresh growths. So it is taken for granted that the intending cultivator has already prepared a nice sweetened hotbed with sufficient heat, without any rank steam rising from the bed. First cover this bed with a few inches of equal parts sand and leaf-mould or tan, or even light garden soil. Allow this fresh surface to get warmed, then test its heat by plunging a thermometer into it for a night; and should it indicate no higher,' than 85°, the roots may be placed on the surface, and a sprinkling of sand thrown over the tubers merely to fill up the crevices. Attach all the names to the respective roots, and stand them, bottom down, closely together on the bed before proceeding to cover any of them.

The frame should be tightly glazed, so that no water falls amongst the roots to cause rot; but rather endeavour to keep the inside of the frame rather dry, admitting air on every favourable occasion, but not too abundantly. Shoots will soon be forthcoming, and they should be taken off when they are about 3 inches long, and potted singly in sand and leaf-mould in thumb-pots, or in larger-sized pots in threes or fours, around the edge of the pots. Moisten the soil after completing the operation as quickly as possible, for it is a bad plan to allow the shoots to flag while in the act of preparing cuttings. All propagators can tell that nothing is worse for any cutting than to allow it to flag: indeed, were it possible to have the operation done in the time it takes to think over it, ninety per cent of the cuttings would never flag; but many of them do flag to rise no more. In making cuttings, one more caution - see that the knife has an edge of razor keenness; cut the cuttings across directly below the joint in the solid. Plunge the pots to their rims into gentle bottom-heat, and keep them moist, preventing flagging by shading and keeping the frame rather close. When they have struck roots, they should then be potted singly into 4-inch pots in rich loamy soil, well draining the pots.

Put them back into heat until they get established; then they may be at once transferred to cold frames to harden, being strictly watchful that frost never reaches them under any condition.

By a constant routine of airing, covering to protect from frost, and attentive -ness as regards watering, the plants will be quite ready to be fully exposed without the lights in the last week of May; and early in June they may be planted out where they are to flower in summer and autumn.

Another mode of propagating is to take young shoots from the branches during summer, strike them in smart bottom-heat singly, in small pots, afford the necessary protection from frost while winter lasts, and plunge them into moderate heat in spring. Remove all but one stem, and when sufficiently strong give a larger shift to those which push away strongly.

There is also practised a method of propagation by means of division of the roots. This is accomplished simply by splitting the roots into as many portions as there are stems. Those divisions are at once potted into whatever pots their individual dimensions require, and then put back into the frame like the others until established. Grafting is also sometimes resorted to with scarce and badkeeping kinds. Grafting is usually performed in the autumn; but it is scarcely-worth while discussing the subject under this head further, my main object being to assist the novice, - and the instructions already offered are the most suitable.