THE DAHLIA 



near a pump, from which a great deal of water 

 was thrown out every day. 



In less than a week after planting, the tubers 

 threw up strong shoots, and these grew very 

 rapidly under the combined effects of rich soil, 

 warmth, and plenty of moisture at the roots. 

 Indeed, they went ahead so rapidly that I con- 

 sidered their growth a discouraging feature, as 

 I felt sure it must be a weak one. 



The result was that when the State Horticul- 

 tural Society held its summer meeting in the vil- 

 lage in which I resided, on the twenty-eighth of 

 August, I placed on exhibition some of the finest 

 specimens of Dahlia blossoms the members of 

 the Society had ever seen, and carried off eight 

 first premiums. 



Since then I have never attempted to start my 

 Dahlias in the house. I give them an extremely 

 rich soil, spaded up to the depth of at least a foot 

 and a half, and made so mellow that the new 

 roots find it an easy matter to work their way 

 through it. Water is applied freely during the 

 season. I consider this an item of great impor- 

 tance, as I find that the plant fails to make satis- 

 factory development when located in a dry place. 

 A pailful of water a day is not too much to 

 apply to each plant in a dry season. 



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