Frosts; Lifting and Storing 119 



placing them upside down, filling as tight as 

 possible, and stuffing the barrel with news- 

 papers to keep out the air. Plump tubers us- 

 ually survive the winter so, but all slender 

 tubers must be packed in some material which 

 will completely protect them from the air. 



Sawdust is another medium often used. It is 

 cheap and usually easily procured, and under 

 ideal conditions should act as perfect protection. 

 There is, however, an element dangerous to the 

 tubers in the use of sawdust. Nearly all sawdust 

 contains some tannic acid. If in any way it 

 becomes wet while cold, this acid is set free and 

 destroys the tissues of the roots. Sawdust 

 holds moisture a long time, and the slightest 

 moisture originally in the tubers themselves 

 may be taken up and held in the sawdust for 

 many weeks afterward. 



A few years ago a large commercial grower of 

 dahlias, whom I count among my very good 

 friends, disclosed to me what was then a "trade 

 secret" on the best way to keep dahlia roots. 

 He had learned this at a meeting of the Florists' 

 Club or the American Society of Florists, or 

 some such association, and all the growers were 

 planning to buy up all the ground cork to be 

 found. 



I was deeply grateful, and proceeded in search 



