BULBS FOR SUMMER BLOOMING 67 



feet apart, according to variety and the effect desired. 

 Dahlias, while not enjoying the place in landscape 

 gardening held by the canna, are magnificent when 

 grown as a hedge or background for smaller plants. 

 The flowers, indeed, leave little to be desired in effec- 

 tiveness of size and color, and the many forms pro- 

 duced meet the requirements of a wide diversity of 

 tastes. For cut flowers and corsage wear, the single 

 blossoms are more graceful and desirable, but for 

 unique beauty and quaintness there is nothing to 

 equal the cactus type — they are my especial favorites 

 of all the dahlia family, especially the glowing car- 

 dinal varieties. Unlike the canna, the dahlia winters 

 admirably and need not be hurried into growth in the 

 spring. Usually they will announce their readiness 

 to grow by throwing out lush green shoots while stiU 

 in the dark corner of a cool cellar. Like the canna 

 they may be started in earth, in sand or in moss, 

 or they may be held back (and this is the better way) 

 and planted directly where they are to bloom when 

 the soil is warm — about the first of June in the north. 

 In separating give each tuber a live shoot and a por- 

 tion of the old stock. Tubers having no live eye or 

 shoot will not produce one, but may be used to graft 

 a live shoot on if there are more than one shoot to 

 other tubers and it is desired to produce as many 

 plants as possible. Remove a shoot close to the tuber, 

 cut the end to a wedge, cut a corresponding wedge- 



