36 The Amateur's Book of the Dahlia 



the proper soil, and the beds, freshly dug, have an 

 opportunity to settle before planting. 



Wehave just been to the dahlia shows and have 

 seen the most wonderful of all flower creations. 

 We have ordered every new variety which has 

 taken our fancy and we plan to do them all the 

 justice possible. Above everything else, we are 

 going to grow dahlias to beat our neighbours ! 



Dahlias, with all their variability, are most 

 accommodating as to soil. They will do pretty 

 well in clay soil, they will do very well in sandy 

 soil; but if we are going to beat our neighbours, 

 we must give them a slightly sandy loam to a 

 depth of eighteen inches. There must be no 

 hard clay to squeeze as the tubers wish to ex- 

 pand. The bed must be retentive of moisture, 

 for the "water pipes " must have a source to draw 

 from. There must be a good supply of phos- 

 phates to give the plant vigour and a good con- 

 stitution. 



Trenching is the best method for making any 

 flower bed permanent. One can then be sure 

 that the soil is as good at the bottom as at the 

 top and the annual feeding is all that it will need 

 to the end of time. 



Few amateurs know what trenching the gar- 

 den really means. Few garden books do more 

 than mention it in a cursory manner; and only a 



