March, 1915 
THE GARDEN M A G A Z I N E 
89 
lack the bright gloss that is noticed on the leaves 
of the box. They do not burn or blister in the 
hot spring sun. 
The propagating of this plant is simple in the 
extreme. In the autumn have a coldframe pre- 
pared with a good sandy soil; then take of! the 
summer growths about six inches long, removing 
the small leaves from one half the length of the 
cutting. Give the end of the cutting one clean 
cut with a sharp knife; then plant in the soil pre- 
pared in the colHframe, up to the bottom leaves of 
the cutting. Press the soil firmly about it, give a 
good watering and place the sash over the frame. 
On hot days shade a little and give air. During 
the winter months, place leaves between the rooted 
cuttings in the frame; they can be planted out in 
the spring time when they will make a fine growth. 
Long Island. S. R. Candler. 
Making Dahlias Bloom. Experts Advise Late 
Planting, Poor Soil, and Water 
P LAINLY written between the lines of the com- 
plaint of Mr. Davis in the December Garden 
Magazine, about dahlias making a rank growth and 
not blooming, is the answer: Too rich soil at plant- 
ing time. From an experience gained in growing 
acres of dahlias for revenue as well as pleasure, I 
would say divide the clump so that there is only 
one sprout on each division. If the soil is rich, 
work in a quantity of coal ashes or sand at planting 
time, and keep the soil loose around the plants. 
During dry weather water heavily around the base 
of the plant once a week at night, and rake the soil 
loose the next morning. When flower buds are 
well formed, add a top dressing of well rotted 
manure or any complete commercial fertilizer. 
This will give immediate returns in larger flowers, 
while the same amount of fertilizer at planting time 
would have produced a large plant that would 
arrive at the flowering stage much later. Too 
much fertilizer, at the start, shade and lack of 
cultivation are the three ills that beset the dahlia. — 
J. T. Fitchett, Janesville, Wis. 
My experience, and the experience of others, 
has shown me that dahlias like a light, sandy soil, 
not too rich; if too rich, the bulbs go to bush at the 
sacrifice of the flowers. Dahlias like oceans and 
oceans of water. They must never be allowed to 
suffer for lack of it. If they have good drainage 
you cannot give them too much water. Also when 
the foliage is too profuse I cut off considerably. 
I have blossoms from June until frost and they 
are only the common varieties and no longer young. 
— Mrs. T. C. Stephens, New Jersey. 
The principal trouble with Mr. Davis’s dahlias 
was the soil. Deep, heavy soil is not suitable for 
dahlia culture, as it produces foliage and tubers in 
abundance, but few or no flowers. If, however, 
this is the only available soil he has, it can be 
rendered vastly more suitable by mixing with it 
about two thirds of coarse coal ashes. I have ob- 
tained wonderful results from dah'ias grown where 
large, deep excavations had been filled in with 
coal ashes and no soil applied except that which hap- 
pened to be carried over the surface by the plow. 
Dahlias require rather light soil with good drain- 
age, and an abundance of fertilizer and water will 
show their effects in the size and luster of the flowers. 
Few people realize the amount of water that dahlias 
require to produce an abundance of flowers. Dahlias 
planted on light soil should receive, in a dry time, at 
least three or four pails of water at a time three 
times a week to each plant. 
Another mistake was in planting only one foot 
apart. They should never be less than two feet, 
and three feet apart is better. Dahlias planted 
two and a half to three feet apart will branch 
sufficiently without pinching back. I do not, and 
never did, approve of the method of pinching back 
the plants. — George L. Stillman, Westerly, R. I. 
Mr. E. W. Davis wants to know why his dahlias 
did not succeed last year. We believe that he 
should have had success, for although the season 
was very dry we were successful. Here is our ad- 
vice to Mr. Davis: Start the tubers in shallow 
ground. Take sharp knife, cut off shoot, taking 
part of tuber with cut. Throw away weak shoots; 
plant single shoots three feet apart in sunny loca- 
tion. If very dry season, water occasionally. 
Secure plants firmly to strong stakes. Do not 
pinch back; let single shoots grow without pinch- 
ing. — H. R. B., Ohio. 
Mr. Davis’s trouble was first, that he planted 
too many bulbs in a hill; second, and most serious, 
that after the plants had reached a height of two 
feet their tops should not have been pinched off. 
One bulb with a good sprout is much better than a 
whole clump of bulbs. Never plant more than 
two bulbs in a hill. When you plant a cluster of 
bulbs, you have four or five stalks, each struggling 
for existence. You receive practically all foliage 
and no flowers, whereas if only one bulb is planted, 
there is but one strong plant, capable of producing 
flowers throughout the entire season. Cultivation 
is the principal requirement. Fertilization is 
Japanese holly (Ilex crenata). an ideal small -leaved ever- 
green for all purposes American hollv (Ilex opaca) in the 
background 
second in importance; but both are very essential. 
Dahlias will grow and do well in any kind of soil. 
I have sand, gravel, and heavy and light loam, low- 
land and hills; and find "very little difference, as 
far as the number of flowers is concerned. The 
only difference is that in sand and gravel dahlias 
form a short, sturdy, compact plant, and in heavy 
loam and lowland they grow tall and rank, blossom- 
ing about a week later than those planted at the 
same time in sandy soil. An open sunny location 
seems to favor them at all times. 
The soil should be thoroughly plowed or spaded 
eight to ten inches deep, well pulverized and thor- 
oughly worked over, thus affording an opportunity 
for rapid expansion, and making an easy path for 
the tiny rootlets. 
Plant the bulb six inches deep, flat down, having 
sprout or eye facing upward, cover with soil an 
inch or so thick, apply dressing or fertilizer, and 
cover in level. Keep the soil well cultivated, and 
free from weeds; never allow the soil to crust.— 
J. K. Alexander, Mass. 
I believe the reason that Mr. Davis was un- 
successful with his dahlias was that his soil was 
too rich; if the loam had been mixed with at least 
half as much sifted coal ashes, I am quite sure there 
would have been a profusion of bloom. The tubers 
need air. Possibly the clumps were not divided; I 
find that that makes a vast difference. The dahlia 
is essentially a fall flower, and best results are ob- 
tained by later planting. Mine are never in the 
ground before the middle of June. — Mrs. Gerrit 
Smith, Nyack, N. Y. 
May I hazard a guess or two as to why Mr. 
Davis’s dahlias did not bloom? 
Possibly they were roots from plants that had 
bloomed to exhaustion the preceding year, and 
needed the year’s growth to regain strength. There 
seems to be a difference in varieties in ability to 
bloom heavily year after year. Different varieties 
differ, too, in their inclination to bloom under any 
circumstances. I suspect, besides, that a tuber 
may become superannuated, and, though unable to 
bloom itself, that it may develop young tubers 
which will bloom the following year. 
As to management, the planting time was good, 
but unenriched soil should have been used. When 
planting is early, or the soil too rich, the plants run 
to vine instead of to bloom. After the buds have 
formed fertilizing can be done heavily. 
It may be that the pinching back was done too 
late for new buds to be prepared and developed. 
If the plants are very backward in getting their 
start, they should not be pinched at all: if they 
start off vigorously, as they will if the roots are good 
and are planted under good conditions, the top 
should be pinched out as soon as the third joint is 
formed; i. e., as soon as there are six leaves. The 
stalk should be pinched off just below the top two 
leaves. 
If a plant two feet high is cut back to a stub, not 
only is the plant given a severe set-back, but the 
buds left to start new growth, if any at all, will be 
very feeble, and able to make but little headway. 
Where the subsoil is well drained, the roots may 
be planted very deep, perhaps preferably so; if the 
subsoil is not well drained, planting must be shal- 
lower, even to the surface of the ground, if necessary, 
as water about the roots is fatal to success. — 
Benjamin C. Auten, Carthage, Mo. 
In my experience dahlias will do well in any 
ordinary garden soil if they are treated right. My 
plan is to fork up the ground in the fall to the depth 
of about one foot, and scatter a plentiful amount of 
manure over it. In the spring after the ground is 
warm and dry I again fork it up; then lay it off 
three feet each way — four would be better. At 
the intersection of the lines dig a hole about eigh- 
teen inches deep and fill it up with well-rotted 
manure (cow manure is best) and soil, about one 
half of each, to about eight inches of the top. Then 
plant the tuber, making sure that it contains an 
eye. Fill in until the ground is level, pressing the 
soil down well. If it is more convenient a sprout, 
or cutting, may be planted instead of the tuber. 
My experience has been that one does as well as the 
other. Set a stake about six feet high to tie the 
plants to as they grow, otherwise they may be 
broken off by the wind. When the plants have two 
pairs of leaves, pinch off the bud at the top to 
prevent their growing so tall, and to make them 
branch out. Cultivate frequently, say once a 
week, but not deeply. If the season is dry mulch 
with grass or leaves. If very dry give plenty of 
water. Half a gallon of liquid manure once a week 
after blooming begins will improve the size of the 
blooms. If many buds appear pinch off some of 
them, and do not be afraid to use the pruning 
shears liberally. — J. G. Cisco, Nashville, Tenn. 
I was quite interested in Mr. Davis’s letter in 
the December Garden Magazine about the failure 
of his dahlia plants to bloom. Soil plays a very 
important role in the culture of this flower. We 
have found from many trials that dahlias planted 
in virgin soil, where the sod had been turned under 
in the fall and the young plants set out the following 
spring, will give better results the first season than 
at any time after in this same spot. All tuberous 
growing plants enjoy a fibrous, open soil rich in 
humus, that naturally drains well. No soil, after 
it has been in cultivation for years, can offer the 
same opportunities to such crops again. The nature 
of soil may by itself be favorable, or unfavorable 
to the growing of tuberous crops by being of a 
heavy, claylike nature, and contain but little 
organic matter; and the subsoil may not drain well. 
Porosity of sandy soils, or those of gravelly nature, 
favor greatly the growing of these plants The 
foliage does not grow so luxuriantly in lighter soils 
as in the heavy kinds but the willingness to blossom 
is remarkably better. Atmospheric conditions 
also influence the well being of dahlias to a very 
large extent. A cool, moist climate during the 
flowering period is best; and where the summers are 
hot and dry plant them late. There is a big differ- 
