THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



Cytisus in Basket. 



will keep so will dahlias cool as you 

 like but no frost. 



If the amateur has no means of prop 

 agating, the old root can be planted or 

 divided, leaving an eye or two to each 

 division, and placed in the ground by 

 middle of May; but look out for late 

 frosts if the top has started. 



Dahlias are easily forced and will 

 yield a great quantity of cut flowers 

 during April, May and June. The pom 

 pon and cactus types are good for this 

 purpose. Plant the roots two feet apart 

 in six or seven inches of good compost 

 on a low bench or on the floor of a 

 house where you can keep the night tem 

 perature 55 degrees. A daily syringing 

 will keep down spider and thrips; fumi 

 gation is necessary to destroy aphis. 

 Several strong growths should start from 

 each clump of roots. A stake should be 

 provided to keep the stems from break 

 ing, and when they once show buds keep 

 the lateral growths pinched off. We 

 picked an immense number of blooms off 

 a few dozen plants. Plants that have 

 been grown in 4-inch pots the previous 

 summer and early ripened are better for 

 forcing than those lifted from the 

 ground. In the temperature quoted and 



was spread on the border. Near the 

 center of the hole he drove down a stout 

 stake which was left four feet above the 

 ground and close to that the plant was 

 set. The surface of the soil was left in 

 such shape that when watered the water 

 would run to the plant, not away from 

 it. I think it was about May 20 they 

 were planted. Frequently they were 

 watered and you could almost see them 

 grow. July 1 is extremely early to 

 cut dahlias, but there was a flower 

 or two on several of the plants and after 

 that they were a gorgeous sight. This 

 method could not possibly be followed 

 with growers of acres of these plants and 

 some New Jersey growers cultivate up 

 wards of 100 acres. We have seen them 

 a mass of bloom without stakes or any 

 other care except perhaps water. Al 

 though the dahlia is from Mexico it is 

 at its best in the cooler and moister 

 months of September and October. 



It is my good fortune to see and fre 

 quently to judge the wonderful dahlias 

 shown at Toronto s great fair in Sep 

 tember; no better can be seen anywhere 

 and for years the superb flowers of 

 Grainger Bros., Toronto, have been ex 

 hibited faultless in shape and color. 



It would be useless to give a list of 

 varieties. The catalogues of our lead 

 ing florists and nurserymen describe 

 them all and the varieties are innumer 

 able. The show varieties have the 

 magnificent self colors of crimson, red, 

 yellow and white and intermediate shades. 

 The fancy flowers are most beautifully 

 blotched, spotted and striped. The pret 

 ty little pompons are all colors; some of 

 the pink shades among them are fine for 

 florists use and the singles are of every 

 color. The cactus type embraces almost 

 all shades ana varies greatly in size and 

 form. 



Anything but a very stiff clay will do 

 for soil. The best I ever saw were grown 



Show and Cactus Dahlias. 



in a sandy loam with a third of good ma 

 nure added. Deep soil, plenty of ma 

 nure and abundance of water are the 

 three essentials. 



When the tops are destroyed by frost 

 cut down to within six inches of the 

 soil, shake or pick off all soil when lift 

 ing the roots and store in a cool, dry 

 cellar or under a bench. Where potatoes 



if good ripened roots are started, about 

 New Year s you can expect the first flow 

 ers in ten to twelve weeks. 



DECORATIONS. 



Keeping step with our business in 

 other lines, the decoration of the house, 

 the hall and the church has evolved apace 



