COMMERCIAL VALUE OF FLOWERS 217 



it will be found that dahlias, gladioli and nasturtiums fit 

 naturally into the gardening scheme and give great pleas- 

 ure. 



Dahlias can be raised from seed, or from small plants 

 supplied by dealers, but neither of these methods is as 

 satisfactory as starting them from dormant tubers. Do 

 not plant an undivided bunch of tubers. Best results are 

 obtained from placing one, never more than two, tubers 

 in a hill. If two are used they are not separated. 



Plant them two and a half or three feet apart each 

 way. Place the tubers about four inches in the earth. 

 Let only one sprout or plant grow from a hill. Some 

 tubers will send up several, but they must be removed as 

 soon as they become visible above the surface of the 

 ground. Stake early and tie plants to the stake with 

 strips of cloth. It is imperative that they be kept well 

 tied to their support. While the plants are self-sup- 

 porting, they are full of sap and very brittle. A wind 

 storm will ruin dahlias if they are not tied securely to 

 their stakes. 



From each tuber planted in the spring you should in 

 the fall have a clump of from three to five with which 

 to start your next season's plants. 



Keep top soil loose around your plants, but do not cul- 

 tivate deeply after they have commenced to make rapid 

 growth. Dahlias throw out a network of threadlike roots 

 quite near the surface, and in cultivating great care 

 should be taken not to injure these roots. In midsum- 

 mer supply a top-mulch of barn-yard manure if you can 

 procure it; if not, use lawn clippings. Make this dress- 

 ing as thick as you can, up to eight inches. Your dahlias 

 will need no further care other than to keep them prop- 

 erly tied to stakes and the blossoms well cut. 



Gladioli have been termed the poor man's orchids. 

 Anybody can grow them and in almost any soil, although 

 they have a special liking for rich loam. Many of the 



