98 The Amateur's Book of the Dahlia 



cultivator should be used shortly after every 

 rainfall, or Old Sol will draw out all the moisture 

 through the surface crust formed by the beating 

 of the raindrops. 



If rain does not come and the plants do not 

 recover after the day's heat, artificial means must 

 be resorted to. 



When watering dahlias, water thoroughly. 

 Soak the soil to the depth of a foot at least. If a 

 little watering is done every day the soil where 

 the tubers are growing is left dry, and the roots 

 must cUmb to the surface to obtain their drink. 

 Such watering is a great labour and does not 

 produce good plants. Further cultivation dis- 

 turbs these surface roots and may result in seri- 

 ous damage. If the soil is well moistened di- 

 rectly around the tubers, watering need not be 

 repeated for another week or ten days even in the 

 driest weather. Cultivation, of course, should 

 immediately follow each watering. 



There are several methods recommended in 

 watering dahlias. I have seen irrigation practised 

 in the East with excellent effect. One of my 

 neighbours plants his dahlias in long rows — some- 

 times straight and sometimes curved, according 

 to the contour of the beds. He digs a little 

 trench a couple of inches deep close to his row of 

 dahlias — about six inches from the stalks — and 



