THE DAHLIA 



the effect of relieving them of a good deal of 

 moisture which they contain in great quantity 

 when first dug, and which ought to be got rid of, 

 in a large degree, before they are stored in the 

 cellar. 



The tubers should never be placed on the 

 cellar-bottom, because of the dampness that is 

 generally found there. I spread mine out on 

 shelves of wire netting, suspended four or five 

 feet from the floor. If they show signs of mould 

 I know they are too damp, and elevate the shelves 

 still more, in order to get the tubers into a dryer 

 stratum of air. If they seem to be shrivelling 

 too much, I lower the shelves a little. Cellars 

 differ so much that one can only tell where the 

 right place is by experimenting. Watch your 

 tubers carefully. A little neglect will often re- 

 sult in failure, as mould, once given a chance to 

 secure a foothold, is rapid in its action, and your 

 tubers may be beyond help before you discover 

 that there is anything the matter with them. As 

 soon as you find a mouldy root, throw it out. If 

 left it will speedily communicate its disease to 

 every plant with which it comes in contact. Some 

 persons tell me that they succeed in wintering 

 their Dahlia tubers best by packing them in 

 boxes of perfectly dry sand. If this is done, be 



162 



