96 PICTORIAL FBAGTIGAL BULB GB OWING, 



firmly established in the soil the roots will have found the 

 special food, and the growths will be so numerous and so vigorous 

 that they will be in a fit condition for its reception. 



When the plants are in their most active state the amount of 

 food that they call for is enormous, and their wants must be supplied 

 or the results will not come up to our expectations or ambitions. 

 In respect of the best kinds of food for Dahlias, one is not met 

 with any serious difficulties, as the plants are sufiiciently accommo- 

 dating to appreciate practically anything that is good, provided it 

 is afforded in reason and variety. To keep applying the same 

 thing is certainly injudicious, as the plants tire of it, and do not 

 derive the benefit that they should do. 



The time of planting is a very important point, as upon it 

 may rest the difi"erence between success and failure. Let the fact 

 that the Dahlia is a half-hardy plant be ever borne in mind, or in 

 our haste to get the plants in their permanent quarters we may put 

 them out before danger from late frosts is passed. The results of 

 this practice are often disastrous, as it does not require a very 

 hard frost to do irremediable damage. Early in June is the most 

 general time, but even then a sharp look-out should be kept, so 

 that if frost appear imminent protective material may be instantly 

 placed about the plants. This close observation should be maintained 

 until the third week of June at least, and ought really never to be 

 relaxed. 



Reducing the Growths.— One sometimes sees it recommended 

 to retain all the growths a plant may produce, but it is rarely indeed 

 that this policy is wise, as, even for garden decoration, the results 

 are infinitely more satisfactory w^hen a certain reduction is made. 

 Pompon varieties difter so materially from the Show and Fancy 

 sections that they may for a moment be left out of consideration. 

 The ideal number of growths to retain when the grower has the 

 exhibition of blooms as his jorimary object, is four for Show and 

 Fancy sections, the same, or perhaps one more, for the beautiful 

 Cactus varieties, seven for the singles, and practically all that 

 are produced in the case of the Pompons. The reason that more 

 shoots are retained in the two latter sections is simply because 

 reduction spells size, and in neither of these is this by any means a 

 recomm.endation on the exhibition table. The selected growths 

 should be chosen well down on the main stem, and these again 

 will demand pinching, but not until they have made substantial 

 progress. After the secondary breaks are secured, all shoots 

 springing from them must be rigidly removed. 



Staking,— Hand in hand with the thinning must run the staking, 

 and unless this is properly carried out it is useless to hope for the 

 production of blooms sufficiently meritorious for placing upon the 

 exhibition table. The constant swaying about to which the wind 

 will inevitably subject them will either blow out the growths 

 themselves, or so injure the fiowers by bruising as to render them 

 worthless. We have already got the principal support into position, 



