82 The Amateur's Book of the Dahlia 



is no choice if any flowers at all are to be ex- 

 pected. 



Two seasons have gone by when no such 

 situation developed. June was cool and rainy. 

 July was hot — and rainy. August was rainy. 

 Dahlias set out at all times did equally well, and 

 the unusually fine crop of blooms over a pro- 

 longed season did much to work up dahlia en- 

 thusiasm to the highest pitch. 



But the drought of the past summer (1921) 

 caught many gardens napping. Plants which 

 had started early were rattling Uke a bag of 

 bones by mid-August, and many a beginner be- 

 came deeply discouraged. 



My own method is to begin planting the 

 tubers of slow-growing varieties about May 

 20th, adding from time to time the others ac- 

 cording to their habits known to me. Half the 

 tubers of each variety whose habits I have still to 

 learn are planted early and the rest late, for ob- 

 servation. Plants are set out during June, dating 

 according to the length of time the variety takes 

 to begin its bloom — even early July is not too 

 late for some. Plants of Gertrude Dahl, set out 

 in my garden the first week in August, pro- 

 duced blooms which won first prizes in a show 

 on October 3rd. I do not recommend such late 

 planting, however, where one desires roots for 



