.THE" 



DAHLIAS MEET 



DIVERSE NEEDS 



.\(/t iKdrh/ th( us( is nirnU of dahlias that their possihililics for jlorisls 

 nurlf. TIk <liv(rsitics of the rarioas t])pcs inert (Jif)'erin<i m eds and tastfs. 

 Th(ii bloom n-h(n oth(r ftoivers are not ahandfutt. (hi this pa<i( is d( s( rdxd 

 hoic florists ran proptatily handle th( ni. 



mm 



^^ 



II K DAHLIA li;i.s iKit Imtm 



Ti-oiisidcri'd witli irnH-li sc- 

 ridusiu'ss frcpiii a flcirist 's 

 stnndpoiiit up to tlie [ires 

 cnt time, but it is now h( - 

 fiiiiiiins to come into its 

 own. For about six weeks, 

 say from Se[iteiiiV)er 1 to 

 ()("tol)er ].'., tlic dahlia, il' 

 jiidlierly liaiidled. should 

 lie most jirotitable as a fl(]rists' flower, 

 as the wide lauf^e of colors allows it to 

 be used for almost any oceasion, and 

 the different types allow a wide di- 

 versity of uses and tastes. 



Some of the collarette ilahlias make 

 U]i excoedin<;ly widl into shdwer lion 

 (juets for wedrlinj^s. Attraction, of aji 

 e.\(|uisite la\'ender shade, makes ii|> wiui 

 derfully wtdl with oak leaves and other 

 t(diaj;e for funeral sprays. The white 

 " <'arnatiou' ' dahlia, 

 Corona, is also use- 

 ful for this purjiose. 

 lu view of the 

 fact that many flow- 

 ers can be cut from 

 one medium-priced 

 I'laHt, there is plenty 

 oi' leeway for jirofit. 



Planting. 



delleiallx' it is a 

 mistake tn jilant 

 dahlia voids ex- 

 tremely early in the 

 ^pi'iiiy, unless you 

 are determined that 

 you want early flow- 

 ers, for if tlie roots 

 are jdanted in .\]iril 

 or the first part ol' 

 May, they will come 

 into flower in July 

 or Au<:ust. durint,' 

 The hot weather, and 

 while there may be 

 a few good flowers, 

 t lie ]dants will soon 

 li 1 o o m themselves 

 niit. and by fall, or 

 when the cool 

 we.'ither comes, the 

 fliiwers produced are 

 iiisi;^ni(icaiit. 80 it 

 is niu(di better, as ji 

 rule, to f)lant dahlias 

 around Jtme 1. Then 

 ihiv will flower t" 

 jierfectien between 

 September 1 and Oc- 

 tolier ].", just the 

 i'r<i]K'r time to makc> 

 The best use of 

 dahlias. 



All that is needed 



By I. S. HENDRICKSON. 



for ]iio(lucinj; a ])idper jdant is one 

 ' ' tuber,' ' or ' ' pidato," with one ' ' eye, ' ' 

 or ''sprout," and this will j,n\(' miodi 

 better results than a (lumji with sev- 

 eral "sjirotits" or "potatoes.'' This 

 ■-hould be laid in a trench or h<de, 

 leiif;thwise and md standiu},' u|i, and 

 i(i\ered about four to six iiodies deep, 

 accordini; to the natuic (d' the soil. 



Culture. 



lione meal and she<'[) manure are ex 

 c(dlent fertilizers, but must be iiicor 

 porated W(dl with the si)il. Keep tiie 

 yiound stirred about a plant. When it 

 i-i about six to eif^ht inidies hij^h, nip ont 

 the center shoot, so that your pl.ant will 

 j;r(iw stocky and throw out mine 

 liiaiiidies. If you lia\e onl\' ;i few plant--, 



Isaac S. Hendrickson. 



you will tinil it will pay to >take them. 



I>ahlias, to do w(dl, neeil ji <,'reat deal 

 <if water. Diiriiif,' the dry sptdl plenty 

 <<( water should be given while they are 

 m.-iking buds. The increase in the size 

 (if the flowers will well re]iay the trou- 

 ble this oci^Msions. 



Til iilitain the largest flowers, remove 

 all but one bud on each shoot. If you 

 prefer (plant ity to size, you can remove 

 half oi' the buds, or none at all, ju-t as 

 yiiu ju'efer. 



Wiien a large nunil)er of dahlia roots 

 are t(i be ]dante(l, the furrows sluuild be 

 made four feet apart. Theti plant the 

 ni(it< about eighteen in(dies apart in the 



rews. If they are ]ilanted (dii<e to- 

 gether in a row, staking is not iKM-ded, 

 as one )ilant hidps sujijiort aiKither. 



I 'lit flowers may be kept in ixdn'l i(ui- 

 (I it inn a long t i me if a little ca rr i< ;;i\ 1 n 

 t hem ;i t The time nf 

 cutting. The flow- 

 ers should be cut 

 e.-irly in the morning 

 nr late in the after- 

 noon or evening. It 

 is [ireferable to cut 

 :it a joint, as the 

 li.'ird part of the 

 -Tein seems to hold 

 t li(> sap in the stalk. 



Hardening. 



Sodii after ci'.t- 

 ting, ])Ut the ends 

 lif the >teins in some 

 \- e s s e 1 containing 

 .•ibiuit one inch of 

 bniling water. Al- 

 liiw tlio tliiwers to 

 extend o\er the side 

 (if the vessel so that 

 the steam will not 

 atVect them. Let 

 them remain in this 

 water until it cools 

 iitT: then transfer 

 viiur iliiwei- to re- 



1 ejitade^ ol' Cfdd 



water. You will find 

 that, as a result of 

 1 his treatment, your 

 lldwers will last two 

 nr three times as 

 lung as they wfiiiUl 

 without it. This hot 

 u atei' t re.atmiiit wil 1 

 even lu'vive flowers 

 th.at have become 

 i|Uite badlv wilted. 

 If dahlias aii' cut 

 I'lir --hipment. it is 

 111 -t To i-iit them 

 I ally in t he mnrning 

 ir late in 'he after- 



