Dahlias

These attractive plants require a deep, friable soil, notover rich. They may be grown from seed sown on a hotbed in March and
lightly covered with fine mould. As soon as they are up give all the
air which can with safety be given. When the seedlings are large
enough pot them off singly in the smallest-sized pots or round the
edges of 6-in. ones. Plant them out at the end of May, 1 ft. apart;
they will flower at the end of August. Any that turn out very good had
better be propagated by cuttings from the young tops, to save the kind
in case the roots should die. When flowering is over take up the young
bulbs and treat them as directed afterwards for old tubers.
Another way to propagate them is to place the old tubers in soil over
a hotbed early in March. When the shoots are a couple of inches high
the tubers may be taken up and divided with a sharp knife. Pot off
separately. Water them occasionally with liquid manure, made from
guano and powdered charcoal, well mixed with rain water, and plant
them out early in May. Give them plenty of room, and tie the branches
securely to stakes firmly fixed in the soil. When they have become
good bushy plants put a layer of half-rotted manure round each plant.
As soon as frost turns their foliage brown take them up, cut off the
roots, leaving about 6 in. of stem attached, and plunge them into a
box of sand, chaff, or ashes, and preserve them from damp, frost, and
heat during the winter.