102 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



the case of the pompons and single varieties very little 

 shade will suffice. 



LIFTING AND STORING THE ROOTS 



With the lifting and storage of the tubers the year's 

 cultural work is completed. The second week of October 

 is the most suitable time for lifting the roots, as they will 

 then be in good condition for storing for the winter. The 

 growth of Dahlias is usually damaged by the frost before 

 the middle of October, and the plants rendered somewhat 

 unsightly, but there is no occasion to wait, as is occasionally 

 done, for that to happen before lifting the roots. 



To avoid any risk of mistakes in the names, all the 

 plants of which the roots are to be stored should be ex- 

 amined, to see whether they are named correctly and 

 legibly. This should be done preferably before the 

 middle of September, whilst the plants are still in full 

 bloom. As the examination proceeds, a new and neatly- 

 written tally should be given to each, and be firmly attached 

 to the stake with string or thin wire. Then, as the stems 

 are cut down later on, to within about 6 inches of the 

 ground level, the tallies should be removed from the stakes 

 and attached to the base of the stem in such manner that 

 they cannot be separated from the roots. It will be an 

 advantage to select a dry day for lifting, and the best 

 method of procedure is to cut down the plants to within 

 6 inches of the ground level, and then with fork or spade 

 lift the roots, attach the new tallies to them, and leave them 

 on the surface for a few hours. If the roots are lifted early 

 in the morning and allowed to remain on the ground, they 



