The Dahlia 
W. C. Boyle 
Associate Member, Garden Club of Cleveland 
The discovery of the Dahlia is probably one of the few benefits 
Spain conferred upon the world in the conquest of Mexico. It was 
found indigenous on the sandy plains of that war-stricken countr}^ 
and brought to Spain. But it remained to England, where it was 
introduced from Spain in the latter part of the eighteenth century, to 
develop it into the remarkable flower it is today. This development 
has affected not only color but structure as well. In its native state it 
is described as "single with dull scarlet rays and yellow disk." It is 
impossible in a brief paper of this nature to cover all the work of the 
"wizards" in nature in producing from this wild, foreign, insignificant 
waif the wide range of the present Dahha. 
In its cultivation in this region (northern Ohio) I know of no more 
illusive plant — no two growers seem to agree on their "cultivation 
notes." I have attempted to test every theory and have met with 
success or failure not so much by reason of the notes as the cUmatic 
conditions in the various years. The Dahha loves a moist, cool 
atmosphere. We find it reaching perfection in the seaboard states of 
New England where it gathers moisture from heavy dews and fogs and 
is invigorated by the cool nights. England's cHmate is ideal in this 
respect. Travehng through rural England in August, 1914, I found 
the rarest varieties growing four to six feet in height and covered with 
perfect blooms. Here, our plants are apt to get such a set-back during 
the dry heat of July and August that they barely recover in time to 
come in bloom shortly before frost. It seems to be a simple thing to 
grow them in the eastern states referred to, but in the central states 
success will be measured b)^ the extent to which one can overcome this 
setback. 
Generally speaking, any good loam or garden soil is proper for 
Dahlias, provided it is cultivated deeply and well drained. The 
tubers should be placed flat about six inches below the surface and 
three feet between plants and rows. There is considerable controversy 
as to when to plant, some favoring early and others late. In this 
region I prefer the month of June, and preferably the first half. It is of 
the utmost importance to have the plants well established before the 
hot summer months. After the plant is well up, cultivation should 
begin and be kept up until near blooming period. If irrigation is 
necessary the ground should be thoroughly soaked once a week, or 
twice a week if cultivation is not systematically carried out. A slight 
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