THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



Remembering the mistake of Achilles's mother, with its sad re- 

 sult when the arrow struck him in the heel, I turned the clumps 

 about and gave each an extra dip where my fingers had kept them 

 from entering the fluid in the first place. 



The clumps selected for the experiment were rather small, con- 

 cerning whose fate I cared little and which I felt sure could not be 

 wintered over in the ordinary way. Some large clumps were di- 

 vided as if it were already spring, each tuber being separately 

 dipped. 



When finished, all were placed together in an ordinary box, put 

 away on a shelf in the storage room and forgotten until April. 

 On lifting them out at that time, to my amazement I found that 

 almost every clump had thrown up many long shoots. The wax 

 was peeling ofif by the heaving of the tubers, and with the excep- 

 tion of two or three which had apparently not been carefully trim- 

 med before waxing, all were thriving. At the present writing 

 they are growing lustily in the garden as though nothing unusual 

 had been done to them. A few, from plants which I had con- 

 sidered diseased last year, seem to be perfectly recovered — so 

 far! 



In comparing notes with growers throughout the Central and 

 Eastern states I found that one trouble has caused severe losses this 

 spring — crown rot. Tubers which had been set away apparently 

 in prime condition last October were found to be useless in April. 



During a normal season rapid growth takes place early in the 

 year, slowing down as the days become cool and crisp in September. 

 The sap gradually goes back to the root. The crown becomes 

 firm, locking the food into the tubers where, going through a chem- 

 ical change, they prepare themselves for next year's growth. 

 When frost comes they are ready. 



Our season last year was abnormal. The dahlia calendar was 

 completely turned about. The first three months were so dry 

 that plants were at a standstill most of the time. Stalks became 

 woody and leaves scarcely developed. Then came the blessed 

 rain. Plants which were not too far gone leaped into growth. At 

 a time when they were luscious in leaf and stalk, sending out all 

 their strength from the tubers to make up for lost time, Jack 



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