298 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



December, 1907 



treat as if grown from tubers. They 

 will bloom the first season. The tubers 

 of these plants will do better the follow- 

 ing year. In this way new varieties are 

 originated. 



4. Mrs. Roosevelt — A Sport 



I have stated that flowers will sport 

 on the same bush. As an example I 

 give two illustrations, No. 3 and No. 4. 

 These are "Mrs. Roosevelt," both grown 

 on the same bush, from the same tuber, 

 but from different branches. No. .3 is 

 the true type, No. 4 the sport. It is 

 believed that this variety of dahlia is an 

 improvement over "Grand Duke Alexis" 

 and was originated from that plant. If 

 so, then this sport partly .answers the 

 query: "Do dahlias revert?" Anyone 

 familiar with "Grand Duke Alexis," will 

 notice in this sport of "Mrs. Roosevelt" 

 the resemblance to its progenitor. It 

 was certainly the most beautiful flower 

 from this bush during the whole season. 

 Its color was a delicate rose pink, with 

 a rich orange centre, over which a few 

 petals curled gracefully. It was much 

 admired by all who beheld it. 



A fine specimen of "Clifford W. 

 Bruton" is represented by illustration 

 No. 5. It is a large yellow, decorative 

 dahlia, that measured five and six- 

 eighths inches. The bush it grew upon 

 is nearly six feet tall, and spreads over 

 an area of nearly seven feet. This 

 fiower was picked without any special 

 selection. 



PROPAGATING FROM SLIPS 



Among professionals the propagation 

 of dahlias from slips is quite common. 

 Slips are made from early shoots. These 

 should be of the very thinnest, and 

 taken from tubers that have been 

 started in January, either in the hot- 

 house, or in the cellar, if there is suffi- 

 cient light. When the third set of 

 leaves have formed, cut the shoots 

 from the tubers and place in three-inch 

 pots containing sandy loam, being very 



careful to label slips as you make them. 

 In about three weeks they will take 

 root. Do not be discouraged if these 

 •slips wilt at first. I have had them 

 apparently die, and finally send up a 

 splendid shoot. Remove to hot-bed 

 as soon as weather will permit, and 

 transplant in garden, only after care- 

 fully hardening out, as soon as all dan- 

 ger of frost has passed, say about the 

 middle of May. They will bloom as if 

 grown from tubers. 



FEEDING 



Your dahlia bed should always be 

 fertilized in the fall. After the tubers 

 have been dug, work in large quanti- 

 ties of well-rotted cow- manure, dig- 

 ging the bed over several times before 

 the earth has frozen. Early in the 

 growing season a top dressing of pure 

 bone meal four parts, to nitrate of soda 

 one part, gives solendid results, but 



5. Clifford W. Bruton 

 Deep yellow, decorative. Size, 5 5 inches. 



do not apply this until buds have be- 

 gun to form. If, after a good bloom, 

 the flowers appear to degenerate in 

 size and quality, mulch broadcast with 

 the bone meal and nitrate of soda 

 composition, to promote a better bloom. 

 Like the peony, the dahlia is a great 

 feeder, but remember that too much 

 feeding before the buds begin to form 

 promotes the growth of the bush at 

 the expense of the bloom. 



Amateurs should aim to have flower 

 beds of a pleasing but simple shape, not 

 elaborate in design. 



The value of rural improvi-meut is 

 recognized by all men who observe. It 

 has an effect on the home and on the 

 travelling public. It increases the value 

 of the farms that are adjacent to or 

 that form part of the improvement. 



Oaillardia BlanKet Flo-wer 



The gaillardias are a genus of great 

 importance in the flower garden, includ- 

 ing, as they do, some of the showiest 

 flowers, valuable for their long duration 

 on the plants and as cut flowers. Variety 

 aristata and several others are the types, 

 all natives of North America, from 

 which have been raised a number of 

 beautiful hybrids, producing flowers 

 from two to four inches in diameter. 

 Variety grandiflora is probably the best 

 and should be found in every collection. 



If the seeds are sown in February, the 

 plants raised will bloom as well as win- 

 tered-over plants. They may also be 

 raised from cuttings in the fall. For 

 effect, plant in a bold clump by them- 

 selves. 



ttniphofia — Flame Flo^wer 



Roderick Cameron, Niagara Falls, Ont. 



Red-Hot Poker or Torch Lily are 

 other names for this flower. They are 

 natives of South Africa. They belong 

 to the lily family, of which there are 

 about a dozen varieties in cultivation. 

 All bear a strong resemblance to each 

 other. The variety "Pfritzerie" is 

 probably the best on account of its con- 

 tinual blooming habit and bright flame 

 color. It blooms during August, Sep- 

 tember, and October. The photograph 

 reproduced here is of this variety. I 

 have counted as many as thirty-five 

 spikes on one of these plants at a time. 

 The plants are smaller than the others 

 that I am acquainted with and the heads 

 are shorter.' One of the tallest is 

 "Noble's." It is truly a noble plant, 

 well worthy of the name. 



They all like a deep, damp, porous 



Kniphofia Aloides 



soil. At Niagara Falls they are hardy, 

 but I would advise gardeners in other 

 sections to take up the roots, store in 

 boxes, and place in a cool cellar. They 

 may be planted outside in the spring. 

 Variety "Maria" is the hardiest of this 

 class and should prove so in many places 

 in Ontario. 



