Hints on Dahlia Culture 



Max Moineau. Toronto 



DO not dig dahlia tubers until sev- 

 eral days after the first frost 

 has blackened the bush. Then, 

 on the first fair day without frost, care- 

 fully dig the tubers and leave them two 

 or three hours in the sun to dry. About 

 mid-day is the best time to do this, as 

 it is warmer. When sufficiently dry, 

 shake off all the earth, and store the 

 tubers in boxes of sand or sawdust, in a 

 dark place in the cellar, in a tempera- 

 ture just high enough to prevent freez- 

 ing in the coldest season. Be careful 

 to label your clusters as you take them 

 up, as a dahlia without a name is of 

 little interest. 



THE STORY OF THE DAHLI.'V 



The dahha is a most remarkable 

 flower. Its history extends back be- 

 yond the year 1657. It is a native of 

 Mexico, and many an Aztec descendant 

 has made food of its tubers. In its 

 original country it was called "acocotli," 

 and "chichipath." In Germany it is 

 called "Georgina," after Professor 

 Georgi, a distinguished botanist of St. 

 Petersburg. In England and America, 

 however, it is called "Dahlia," after 



Professor Andreas Dahl, a Swedish bot- 

 anist, who did much toward its develop- 

 ment. About the year 1789 it was 

 recognized in Madrid as an eight-rayed 

 flower. Twenty-five years later it 

 bloomed in about a dozen well-defined 

 colors. Then it began to double, and 

 for another twenty-five years its devel- 

 opment was of the many petaled form. 

 In 1841, there were over 1,200 varieties. 

 In 1872, the cactus variety was intro- 

 duced, and since then the number of 

 varieties runs up into the thousands. 

 The very latest development is of the 

 peony-flowering type, introduced in 1903 

 by Mr. Homsveld, of Holland — a gorge- 

 ous decorative dahlia, that bids fair to 

 become very popular. 



HAS MANY VALUABLE FEATURES 



Than the dahlia, perhaps no other 

 flower varies so greatly in form and 

 color, or has so many possibilities. It 

 can be propagated from seed, from 

 tubers and from slips. It can even be 

 grafted, in a certain way. It will also 

 sport on its own bush, throwing several 

 different shapes and shades of color 

 from the same parent stalk. It can be 



grown as beautiful as the peony and as 

 delicate as the rose, the secret of this 

 remarkable achievement being envel- 

 oped in its culture. 



Dahlias will grow almost anywhere, 

 and in any kind of soil, but to get the 

 best results, everything must be made 

 congenial. Open sunlight and a sandy 

 soil is imperative for the most ideal 

 culture, while a proper fertilizer at the 

 proper time will enhance the beauty of 

 each bloom. 



RESPONDS TO CARE AND ATTENTION 



It is surprising how little is known of 

 the character and habits of the dahlia 

 by the many, aside from professionals, 

 who pretend to cultivate it. The pur- 

 chasing of a tuber and the planting of 

 it in some indifferent way, at any time 

 after the danger of frost has passed, 

 seems to be the general idea among a 

 certain class of amateurs. This, how- 

 ever, is not conducive to the best results. 

 The dahlia well repays any attention 

 expended upon it, and the best of care 

 in its cultivation will be rewarded ten- 

 fold. It should be given a prominent 

 place in the gardens of all amateurs. 



What Amateurs Can Do in November 



EARLY this month is a good time 

 to prepare for winter. Make 

 everything in the outdoor garden 

 snug and secure. Gather and burn all 

 diseased leaves and roots. Rubbish 

 affords excellent hiding places for insects. 



If you have not already applied a 

 top-dressing to the lawn, do so at once. 

 Manure may be used or an earth mulch 

 as recommended in these columns many 

 times. Another excellent dressing that 

 is permanent in its effect, and one 

 that gives particularly good results on 

 light and dry limestone soil is prepared 

 as follows: Finely sifted or screened 

 earth, five parts; sulphate of am- 

 monia, one part; Kainit or wood ashes, 

 one part; bones reduced by acid, two 

 parts; soot and fine coal ashes, one 

 part. Supposing each part to equal 

 twenty pounds, we get here 200 pounds 

 of a mixture that forms a good, active 

 and lasting manure for one acre of 

 lawn. It must be used in proportion 

 to the extent of the ground. 



Many plants on the lawn and in the 

 garden will require protection in win- 

 ter. Do not apply it until the ground 

 is frozen. Plants often are injured by 

 being covered too early. 



Probably the best mulch for peren- 



*In our next issue the author of this excellent article 

 will give information on cultural directions and on the 

 origination of new varieties. 



nial borders is well-rooted stable man- 

 ure, because it can be spaded to feed 

 the plants next spring when they need 

 it most. 



Fall plowing or digging, where prac- 

 ticable, is well worth while, even if 

 nothing is to be planted It aids in 

 pulverizing the soil, which will be found 

 in excellent condition in spring. It is 

 a good plan to dig the garden spot 

 each year to turn under the weeds. 



There is still time to plant bulbs. 

 Better results are secured by plant- 

 ing earlier in the season, but the work 

 can be done now if the beds are cov- 

 ered as recommended in an article on 

 bulb planting on another page. 



FALL WORK WITH FRUIT 



Few varieties of strawberries are 

 capable of withstanding the hardships 

 of our winters unless protected. It is 

 not so much the heavy freezing that 

 does damage; it is the alternate freez- 

 ing and thawing of early spring. Do 

 not apply the protection until the ground 

 is frozen. Give a top-dressing of from 

 four to six inches. Stable manure may 

 be used. It will not only protect, 

 but will furnish fertility to the soil. 

 There is one disadvantage, however, 

 and that is the fact that it is apt to 

 contain many weed seeds. For this rea- 

 son, most gardeners prefer to apply 



clean straw or hay. Do not put on 

 too heavy a cover. Work it in the 

 bare places between plants and place 

 sufficient on top of the plants to hide 

 them. Light straw can be used in 

 greater quantities than some of the 

 heavier mulches. 



It is well to place a few forkfuls of 

 manure around raspberry and black- 

 berry bushes and young fruit trees. 

 Old blackberry and raspberry canes 

 may be removed, but it is not well to 

 cut back the new canes until spring, 

 as in the event of winter-killing, the 

 workwould have to be repeated. While 

 fall pruning can be done often with 

 success, it is better, as a rule, to leave 

 the work until the spring. The more 

 canes left over winter, the better will 

 the snow be held. Snow is the best 

 protection that the roots can have. 



Currants and gooseberries may be 

 planted in November. They are hardy. 

 Prune them any time after leaves fall. 



As a preventive against the ravages 

 of mice and other vermin, remove all 

 rubbish from among the fruit bushes 

 and trees. Such material, if left, will 

 ser\'e as a harboring place. Young 

 trees should be protected by wrapping 

 the trunks with building paper, and a 

 small mound of earth should be thrown 

 around the bottom to prevent the 

 mice from gaining entrance. 



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