m A NUT SHELL 
^Ji Yew Items of Interest-^ 
HE native home ot the Dahlia is Central America and Southern 
Mexico. Its earliest known history dates back to 1657, and 
at this date was called Acocti by the Aztec Indians. Later its 
name was changed to Georgina, after Prof. Georgi of St. 
Petersburg, which name is still used in some of the German 
catalogs. Again the name was changed to Dahlia, after Dr. 
^ Dahl, a Swedish botanist. The Dahlia in its native state is single. 
The first double forms appeared in 1814 and are credited to Mr. Donke- 
laar. The first double forms were of the types now known as SHOW 
and FANCY. The POMPON form appeared about 1858 to 1860. Next 
came the DECORATIVE form, but its origin is not clearly defined, but 
probably dates back some forty years. The first CACTUS Dahlia orig- 
inated in 1872, but was not placed on the market until 1880. It was 
named Juarezi after President Juarez of Mexico. This is the popular 
type of the present day and there are some 2,000 named varieties ot 
Cactus Dahlia today that have descended from the original Juarezi. 
The PEONY FLOWERED type is of quite recent origin, dating back 
but a few years, and is becoming very popular. 
WoxD lo Qvow and Care for Dahlias 
|F possible, plant in an open, sunny situation. Prepare the soil 
thoroughly by deep digging. Be moderate in the use of both 
manure and water. Never plant when the soil is wet. Lay 
the tuber flat on its side and cover it four inches deep, press- 
ing the soil firmly on the tuber. Keep the soil loose and mel- 
low by frequent hoeing, drawing the soil to a slight hillock 
around the plant. 
Tall growing varieties may be kept fairly dwarf by pinching out 
the tip when the first shoot is six inches high. All varieties growing 
above four feet should be tied to stout stakes to hold them in position. 
3x3 feet is about the proper distance to plant apart. 
Keep all dead flowers trimmed off. 
Dahlia blooms keep much better if cut in the evening — about 
sunset^ — and the less foliage taken off with the flowers, the better tor 
both plant and flower. If green is desired, use some other green ot 
better keeping qualities. 
After frost has killed the tops, dig the tubers carefully, remove 
the soil from the roots, and store away in a box or barrel secure from 
frost. As a precaution it would be well to cover the tubers so stored 
with sand, leaves or moss. 
All clumps should be divided into several pieces before being 
reset the following spring. 
— Extracts from Wilmore's Dahlia Manual. 
