226 BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS 



Dahlias. Not only is it necessary to take great care that earwigs 

 do not attack the expanding flowers, but the blooms must be pro- 

 tected from the weather. Fierce sun may hurry the flowers on 

 too fast, and affect their colours. Special shades are made, and 

 the grower should inquire about them from the florist from whom 

 he purchases his plants. If the nurseryman does not sell them 

 himself, he will be able to advise what kind to get, and where to 

 get them. 



Dahlias in Autumn. In a cool, mild, moist autumn the 

 Dahlias may remain in beauty until November, but the first sharp 

 frost that catches them will blacken the foliage and stop the 



growth. When this happens it is use- 

 less to retain them, as they will never 

 recover, but will die quite away. In 

 view of the fact that they are un- 

 sightly in their tarnished state, the 

 sooner they are cut down the better. 

 The stem may be severed just above 

 the ground, and the top growth 

 cleared away. Some growers do no 

 more than this, and let the roots lie in the ground throughout 

 the winter. No harm will follow if the soil is warm and friable, 

 but in cold, clay, damp soils the tubers may decay. It is decidedly 

 safer to lift them, and after letting them stand upside down on 

 their stumps for a day or two, in order to facilitate the escape 

 of moisture, to store them. They pass the winter best in a dry, 

 frost-proof place. If increase is not desired, and nothing but 

 garden decoration is thought of, the stools may be replanted 

 intact in spring, and with a certain amount of growth-thinning 

 they will give fairly satisfactory results ; moreover, they will flower 

 early, if that is considered an advantage. But those who aim at 

 securing the strongest plants and the best flowers will raise fresh 

 plants from cuttings annually in the way previously advised. 



STORING DAHLIAS 



A, B, stools stored under stages or arches ; 

 C, mats suspended for protection. 



