OF THE DAHLIA 
for experiments, and then treat them boldly and fear- 
lessly, knowing that mistake or failure only means 
knowledge gained, not loss. The thoughtful care these 
set-aside plants receive would result in surprisingly fine 
flowers, for while the varieties cost little in money, and 
would not be the "latest creations," they would be 
dahlias that were counted among the favorites of yes- 
terday, and all would be beautiful and desirable. The 
absorbed attention the beginner would give his experi- 
mental plants would quicken his powers of observation, 
and he would learn in this way, in a single season, what 
less careful growing might not teach him in several years. 
A pocket note book should complete the equipment. 
Put down everything — planting dates; (start the ex- 
perimental plot as early as possible, and plant every two 
weeks for experiment and succession of blooms); 
last spring frost, first killing autumn frost; dates and 
number of rain falls, and of cloudless days; dry spells, 
when, how many, and how long, and temperatures, 
with record of cultivation given during such periods ; 
date of first flower bud appearance, of blooming, and 
if you have time, actual count of blooms produced 
per named variety, with note as to amount of disbud- 
ding practiced. The mere writing down of all this 
information is apt to fix it in the memory, whether 
the notes are consulted afterwards or not, and the effort 
to record many details wonderfully enlarges observa- 
tion. 
