THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



suits them best with a dressing of lime before and after bloom. 

 Give them plenty of water during the growing period. They 

 do not like to have their roots disturbed, yet they may be trans- 

 planted successfully by a careful gardener. 



PICKLED DAHLIAS 



A NEW METHOD OF WINTER STORAGE WHICH PROVED TO BE UN- 

 EXPECTEDLY SUCCESSFUL 



By Mrs. Charles H, Stout, Short Hills, N. J. 



THERE is probably no subject in horticulture over which more 

 men and women disagree than the storage of dahlia roots dur- 

 ing winter. Each of us has his or her pet method. I have mine, 

 of course, but I also try whatever anyone else suggests. Thus 

 it happened that when a Paterson grower, Mr. Charles E. 

 Walker, made a suggestion that I try paraffin wax, I at once 

 started on the new adventure. 



Accordingly, I purchased ten pounds of paraffin, such as we had 

 been using on top of jelly. The clumps, after being dug and rip- 

 ened, were washed free of soil. They were carefully inspected 

 for any signs of decay. Every tuber with broken neck and all 

 bruised spots were removed. The old stock was entirely cut away, 

 leaving the crown perfectly clean. When quite dry, several tubers 

 of each clump were marked with its name, using an ordinary in- 

 delible copying pencil. 



A large sauce pan was borrowed from cook and placed on 

 a "slow" fire. The paraffin, put in piece by piece, was warmed 

 until all became a transparent liquid, but not allowed to reach the 

 boiling point. Each clump was then dipped in and out without 

 a pause, the wax instantly forming a thin semi-transparent, whitish 

 skin over the tubers. 



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