GARDENING CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 20328, 9 November 1929, Page 3

GARDENING CLUB

THE DAHLIA

Mr F. H. Hollingworth presided at the meeting of the Dunedin Gardening Club. Mr John Whyte gave a short address on the cultivation of the dahlia, in which he explained the mode o‘< i ’ .'pligation by division, cuttings, and seeds. Division was usually used where small quantities were required, and consisted of breaking or cutting up the stools into pieces each with an eye. It was best before breaking them up to wait till the eyes showed, and then there would bo no blanks. Where large quantities were required it was necessary to resort to cuttings, which were made from the young shoots and placed m a frame with a bottom ,beat’ of about 70deg. They soon rooted, and i ouid be hardened off and planted out. Growing from seed was very interesting, and the most satisfactory results wc/e obtained with the single, star, and colldrett© varieties. With the double varieties only a very small perce if. go was of any use. When planting out a position should be chosen with a northern or northwest aspect, sheltered from winds. The soil best suited for good flowers was a heavy clay loam, deeply dug and well manured in the autumn. Before planting good stakes should be put in at least 4ft Gin high, and a plant put in at each one. The large varieties should be at least 2ft apart, and should bo well and carefully tied to the stakes. Dahlias liked moisture, and mulching with stable manure was a great help in dry weather. They liked liquid manure, which helped to make the flowers larger and the plants more vigorous. The varieties were numerous, and the latest and most useful wore the bamboo or stiff-stemmed ones.

The president (Mr Hollingworthi fare a resume of the work of the gaien at the present time and the wort necessary for the growing of winter vegetables. Seed of savoy and broccoli should be sown now to provide plants for planting out between Christmas and the end of January. Tho plants would take from the time ol sowing about six weeks in the seed bed. and about sixteen or seventeen weears from planting out to mature. _ Leeks should be now planted in their per manent quarters, and also Brussels sprouts, cauliflowers, peas, beans of varieties, carrots, beetroot, and onions, and later on tomatoes for outside culture should be planted in warm sheltered positions. Mr Hollingworth referred to the practice of people using the hose in their gardens, and was oi the opinion that better results could be obtained by cultivation. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Whyte and Mr Hollingworth for

their interesting and instructive addresses. There were on exhibition flowers and plants. Air J. W. M'lntyre showed waratah, embrothium, Felicia, fruticosus, Veronica Fairfieldi, and romelia Gnidia. Mrs Doodeward showed a collection of well-grown schizanthus, which were much admired. Alesdaraes Rhodes. M'Gregor, and Doodeward displaced pansies and violas, and Aliss AI. Atelson stocks.