62 The Amateur's Book of the Dahlia 



Undoubtedly the growing of plants from seed 

 is the most alluring of all phases of dahlia culture 

 we can never be certain what we shall get. 

 From the day the little green sprout cracks 

 through the soil and smiles a cheery "good 

 morning" we are in a state of suspense. What 

 will it do? Will it be a peony, a decorative, or a 

 cactus? Will it be white or pink or yellow or 

 red or (and many of us have had dreams !) a 

 heavenly blue? For months it does not divulge 

 its secret. Then the buds form. They swell. 

 To-morrow, maybe, they will show colour. We 



get up early and rush down to see and find ? 



Maybe it's magenta possibly red and yellow 

 or pink. It might be double, or it might be 

 single. It is hard to tell, for dahlia blooms open 

 slowly; and early in the morning only a petal or 

 two will have broken free. By afternoon we 

 are sure, and will either root up and destroy the 

 plant or stand and worship. 



There is little enough we have of definite 

 knowledge concerning the breeding of new 

 types and varieties. Recent investigation shows 

 that a certain amount of inbreeding with careful 

 selection is beneficial in plant life. It is this 

 which has established every new type. Con- 

 stant inbreeding in dahlias, however, is a waste 

 of time. Poor keeping qualities of root systems 



