March, igrr 



THE CANADIAN TtORTlCtlLt UHlST 



>i 



The Cultivation of the Dahlia' 



J. McPherson Ross, Toronto, Ont. 



THIS handsome garden flower was 

 first introduced from Central Amer- 

 ica over a century and a half ago, 

 and was named in honor of Dahl, a Swed- 

 ish naturalist. 



Speaking locally, the dahlia was the 

 most popular flower in Toronto forty 

 years ago, a popularity it enjoyed in 

 Scotland and England, and I have no 

 doubt in Ireland. For myself I have kept 

 the same love for the flower that was 

 first implanted and absorbed into my sys- 

 tem I am almost ashamed to tell you 

 how many years ago, and also let me say 

 that there were just as fine varieties, just 

 as distinct and glowing colors, as large, 

 perfect blooms in the show kinds and 

 jtist as diminutive perfect flowers of the 

 Pompom or dwarf types as any of to-day. 

 The same extensive range of color pre- 

 vailed then as now, from purest white to 

 purplish black, the same fiery crimson 

 and golden yellows, the same shades of 

 lilac, lavender and rose, but no florist has 

 as yet ever frightened the flower into 

 blue. 



The fact that we have a great range 

 of color in this flower and that its culture 

 is of the easiest character may account 

 for its popularity, but it lacks one grace, 

 though it possesses many a grade. It 

 lacks one charm that many fine flowers 

 also lack, and one in which the rose 

 stands pre-eminent, that is perfume. If 

 the dahlia possessed this quality the rose 

 would have to look to its laurels. 



The dahlia is eminently a fall flower 

 for it is generally September that we 

 have it in all its glory, and it is always a 

 source of regret to see it destroyed just 

 at its best, when the fall frosts come, and 

 to which it is particularly sensitive and 

 fender. To-day you may see a green col- 

 umn of thick strong stems and 

 opulent leaves crowned with gorgeous 

 prim flowers and to-morrow see a black, 

 dishevelled limped mass shorn of all its 

 glory. For this reason it is particularly 

 necessary to forward its growth as early 

 in summer as possible, but again we are 

 met with limitations as we cannot plant 

 out until the frosts are over unless we 

 cover it over with an upturned pot or 

 other protection. 



PKOPAOATINO 



The dahlia is one of the easiest to 

 propagate from cuttings, and in order to 

 have them the old tubers may be started 

 in a box in the house anywhere near heat 

 or sun, or in default of a greenhouse a 

 hotbed is the next best. By starting them 

 in March you will have plenty of shoots 



tto make cuttings from. When two or 

 more inches h igh cut them off just below 



^A paper read before the Toronto Horticultural 



the leaf bud or eyes at the base, cut 

 leaves close to the stalk, leaving the top 

 leaves, and these may be nipped back one 

 half. Place them in moist sand, water 

 and shade for a day or so, and they will 

 soon root. If they have a little bottom 

 heat they will root much sooner. Leave 

 the cuttings in sand till well rooted when 

 they may be potted in inch pots. Many 

 put them in the pots at first in good soil. 

 Make a hole with the finger or dibble, fill 

 in a little clean sand then insert the cut- 

 ting, water and shade. These cuttings 

 form nice .tubers in the pots and they 

 may be left here till planting time. In 

 fact many growers prefer the pot grown 

 cuttings to bed tubers for bloom. After 

 propagating all you wish you may divide 

 the old tubers into as many plants as will 

 have good eyes or that you may wish 1;o 

 preserve or plant. When making cut- 

 tings be particular to make the cut be- 

 low two leaf buds in order that the tubers 

 will have eyes or buds at base of stock for 

 next year. If that is not done the tubers 

 will be blank. 



SOIL 



Dahlias thrive in any soil, whether 

 sandy, loamy or clay, if you will only dig 

 plenty of manure into the soil and give 

 plenty of water during hot weather. The 

 dahlia is a lusty growing plant and re- 

 quires a strong feed and plenty to drink. 

 Dahlias do better in rows by themselves 

 than mixed with other plants. They may 

 be employed to advantage with shrubbery, 

 which they serve to light up, as the shrub- 

 bery is usually without flowers when the 

 dahlia is in bloom. The yellow and white 

 sorts are best for this purpose. 



In the border or row intended for the 



dahlia after being thoroughly enriched 

 and dug up — good drainage, of course, 

 is supposed to exist, if not, it must be 

 provided — holes are dug eighteen inches 

 to two feet deep four feet apart for tall 

 varieties, and three feet for dwarf. Fill 

 these holes with one foot of manure ; 

 tramp down well, then cover with three 

 to four inches of soil on which place your 

 potted plant or tuber. Cover above root 

 top with two or three inches of soil, and 

 press firmly. Place good stakes two 

 inches square and four feet above the 

 surface. This is necessary to prevent 

 disturbance from wind, as the dahlia when 

 fully grown makes a large plant, some 

 five to six feet high, and presents a 

 bulky surface to the wind, so that the 

 staking is absolutely necessary. 



When plants start pinch ofl' all shoots 

 hut two and when an assured leader is 

 growing, leave but one. I prefer to al- 

 low but one shoot, and this soon throws 

 out side shoots which can be kept in or- 

 der by pinching. Keep the soil loose by 

 constant hoeing and stirring, but as soon 

 as the top roots are thrown out by the 

 plant cultivation may be stopped. A 

 good plan is to have a shallow basin of 

 soil around the base of plant to save the 

 water, also to stimulate the plant when 

 blooming by a pinch of well rotted, rich 

 manure. 



(To be Continued) 



For gardening give me a spade that 1 

 can easily drive through the hard clod 

 and tough sod and a trowel that will not 

 break at the shank. Add to this a rake 

 and a hoe, with a good reach and rigid 

 handle, and I feel equipped for most uf 

 my garden work. — Dr. H. M. Speechly, 

 Pilot Mound, Man. 



Easter Liliea, Azaleas, and a grand ooUeotlon 

 ory decorations. Photograph furnished by Thos. 



A Caraer in the GoTcromut Hill Gr««nhoa<«, Ottawa 



of winter blooming plants suitable for conserrat 

 Davis, Qovernment Florist. Ottawa. 



