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 Uttle 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 



