April, 1909 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



157 



each joint, and at the very end one or two 

 flowers at the most. 



The feeding of the plants should be begun 

 immediately when the crown is pinched, and 

 just as soon as the buds form the manure 

 which has been placed on the ground pre- 

 viously should be removed and an application 

 of nitrate of soda, one ounce to five gallons of 

 water, applied to the plant outside a circle 

 at least a foot away from the stem of the plant. 

 This application may be repeated every three 

 days. The first specimen flower appearing 

 on a plant thus treated will be the largest 

 that it can ever produce. 



During the progress of the plants there are 

 few insects which attack them, and, no matter 

 what they are, a weak solution of Paris green 

 in cold water, applied with a fine syringe or 

 whisk-broom to the foliage and buds of the 

 plants after sun-down will prove an efficient 

 remedy and preventive. 



It is highly important that the plants are 

 never watered during the sunny hours. 

 Whenever the conditions are such that wind 

 is a great factor to contend with, the tying 

 of the plants should receive a great deal of 

 attention. In order to make them as secure 



Cut up tlie old "field roots" so that each tuber 

 lias one eye and one only 



as possible I advise having cross-bars connect- 

 ing a line of stakes (as many as desired) and 

 tying the branches to these cross-bars. 



WHEN TO PLANT 



The actual planting in the garden, whether 

 it be of old, dormant roots divided to one eye 

 or of started plants from pots, had best be 

 deferred until, at earliest, May 15th, no 

 matter how far south the garden may be ; and 

 even by planting as late as the first of July 

 splendid results can be obtained. My own 

 experience last year was that plants set out 

 July 10th produced finer plants and a greater 

 quantity of blooms than those set in the 

 ground May 5 th. 



For the ordinary garden, where space is 

 limited, two feet of room between the plants 

 is ample, so far as the welfare of the plant is 

 concerned, but a better appearance can be 

 made with three feet of room. "Field roots" 

 are the old ones that have been carried over 

 from last season by storing in a cellar. Noth- 

 ing is gained by retaining the clump as a 



whole; it is far better to divide it into as 

 many parts as there are sprouts, always 

 observing that there is one sprout or bud, 

 or eye, to each, tuber or root, and vice versa. 



Sometimes it is impossible to separate every 

 sprout, and in such a case it is well to remove 

 with a knife all sprouts but one. The essen- 

 tial point is that never should there be 

 more than one main stem growing. 



"Pot roots" are those grown from cuttings 

 during the previous season, and my experience 

 has been that these roots are as good as 

 field roots. They are easier to handle and 

 easier to plant. 



If a sprout has formed, the size of root has 

 absolutely nothing to do with the future 

 progress of the plant. The old root which 



Pot-roots grown from cuttings last year. Very 

 easy to handle 



is planted is of no account. As soon as it 

 is placed into the ground it decays and the 

 new roots form right above it. It does not 

 feed the plant after the start, as a great 

 many growers believe. 



If planting be done in a very dry season 

 it will be noticed that until the little fibrous 

 roots can develop the plants stand still, not 

 moving one inch, which shows that the large 

 roots which were placed in the ground could 

 not feed the new growth made before the 

 drought set in. 



"Green plants" are often the only sort 

 obtainable, particularly with newer varieties 

 when the quantity is limited. These are 

 rooted cuttings of the current season taken 

 from pot-grown or field roots started early 

 in heat. They must be given careful treat- 

 ment. Most dahlia growers object to green 

 plants for the reason that they are subject 

 to attack by the cut-worm. If *Ms is once 

 done the plant is lost for good, having not 

 yet made root buds, but the cut-worm is an 

 enemy which can be readily fought and kept 

 off. A paper collar, six inches high, placed 

 around the plant so that it extends fully two 

 inches above the ground, will be an effectual 

 barrier to the pest. The one valuable fea- 

 ture of the green plant is that it produces the 

 finest specimen blooms, and if you wish 

 flowers for the exhibition table, green plants 

 are the only thing to grow. 



GETTING RESULTS 



Dahlias will not produce the best specimen 

 blooms until August, no matter when they are 

 planted, and if buds should appear before 



An old field clump sprouted and ready for separat- 

 ing. 1ST othing is gained by planting this whole 



that time it is advisable not to allow them to 

 open; pick them off when quite young. 

 Many varieties have a tendency to produce 

 imperfect flowers in the beginning, and if this 

 is noticed all buds should be removed for the 

 next week or two so as to enable the plants 

 to gain sufficient strength to perfect their 

 blossoms. Early frost, often appearing in 

 September, will kill enough of the plant to 

 stop further blooming, but the flowering 

 season can be prolonged into November, 

 despite early frosts, by building a tent over 

 the bed or garden. Make a framework of 

 stakes standing two feet above the highest 

 plant and cover with muslin or light canvas 

 coming right down to the ground on all sides. 



Place the tubers in the ground horizontally, and 

 three inches below the surface. Set stakes first 



