94 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



the plants stop growing and the flowers grow smaller. People 

 say they are "bloomed out," but they are really "starved out.'" 

 The object sought in growing Dahlias — large, beautiful flowers, 

 and plenty of them — is best obtained by feeding the flowers 

 after the plant has developed rather than by feeding the plant 

 before the flower appears. Some Dahlias bloom so freely that 

 it is necessary to disbud them because the plant cannot supply 

 nourishment enough to perfect all the buds that form. 



If good strong roots are planted and the ground kept thor- 

 oughly cultivated, there will be little need of watering. If it 

 is very hot and dry after the plants come into bloom, water 

 thoroughly once a week, taking care not to wet the blooms. It 

 is best n»t to let the plants suffer for want of water, not to 

 water unless they need it, but when you do water them do it 

 thoroughly, taking care to stir the soil the next day to prevent 

 evaporation. 



The Dahlia is unusually free from disease and insects. Cut- 

 worms sometimes cut ofif small shoots. You will always find 

 the worm in the ground close by the plant it has cut off. As 

 a preventive, use a small handful of slaked lime around the 

 plant as soon as it comes through the ground. 



As soon as the plants have been killed by the frost, lift the 

 roots, remove the loose soil, and expose to the sun and air for 

 a few hours to dry. Cut off the stalks quite close to the clump 

 and pack not too closely in boxes or barrels, in a frost-proof 

 cellar. A covering of dry earth or sand will prevent the roots 

 from shriveling by excluding the air and preserving a more 

 even temperature. Be careful, however, that the clumps are 

 perfectly dry before covering. 



In conclusion, let me say there is really no flower that will 

 give so much pleasure for so little care and expense. It com- 

 bines more good qualities than any other flower grown in the 

 open garden, where it can be had in perfection from July until 

 cut down by frost. The plant is a strong, robust grower, will 

 grow in almost any position, and almost any soil, if given the 

 proper nutriment. In the Dahlia can be found not only every 

 color except blue, but every intermediate shade and tint from 

 the softest to the richest, the most beautiful combination of 

 colors, the most marvelous blending of shades and tints. There 

 is even a green Dahlia — ^Verdiflora — which is quite a curiosity 



