holds water, then they must be taken up before the 

 heavy rains begin. 



Prepare a place where it is shady if possible, by 

 digging down about four inches, take the Dahlias up 

 with all the soil that will stick to them, set them in 

 this place that you have prepared and put dirt all over 

 them in such a manner that the water from the rains 

 will drain away from them. 



In our climate they need a little moisture all the time 

 otherwise they dry out and are lost. 



If you have never grown any Dahlias, you will do 

 well to remember the following instructions, for un- 

 less you are informed as to how to divide your Dahlia 

 tubers from the clump, you are going to ruin and lose 

 the entire lot. 



When you receive your Dahlia tubers from the 

 grower in the spring, by looking closely you will see 

 that the tuber has no sprouts coming out of it, but 

 that it is connected by what is known as a neck to a 

 piece of the base of the stock which grew up out of 

 the ground and had the blooms on. Here is where the 

 eye is or new sprouts come from that push up through 

 the ground and make the new plants. All new growth 

 comes out from the base of the old stock. The tubers 

 are feeders, nothing more, and if broken off at the 

 base of the stock to which they are attached, they 

 produce nothing and are worthless. 



Before dividing your Dahlia tubers it is best to wait 

 until the buds begin to show up a little, then cut in 

 so as to get one or two buds that will be attached to 

 one or two tubers. 



When you are ready to divide your Dahlias, do not 

 shake the dirt or jar it from off your Dahlia clumps, 

 but remove the dirt by gently digging out, or turn a 



15 



