34 CULTIVATION 
space, and crowd each other so much that at harvesting 
time, digging reveals an immense clump of only moder- 
ately sized tubers, tangled together hopelessly, some- 
times tuber united to tuber near the base of the different 
shoots in a thick fleshy mass. You may think you have 
an extra tuber harvest, but at cutting-up time in the 
spring you will be otherwise convinced. In order to 
separate as many plantable (or salable) tubers as pos- 
sible the thick root masses must be chopped through 
with hatchet, or separated by saw and chisel. Grown 
bud (eyes) will be crushed, damaged, or destroyed. 
Far better one, or at the most, two strong stems during 
the summer. You will have better tuber production, 
and more of them can be safely separated for sales and 
planting. Many growers allow two stems if they are 
strong. Undoubtedly more blooms are secured, and 
if you desire flowers for private enjoyment rather than 
exhibition or sales of choice blooms, two stems will 
please you entirely — and you will probably permit the 
two stems the first year or two of your dahlia growing. 
After that if you buy the more expensive sorts, and some 
of "the latest creations," you will no more think of 
allowing two stems to a place, than of allowing your 
neighbors' cats or dogs to use your dahlia plot as a 
promenade. 
Disbudding is the removal of some of the profusely 
produced flower buds in order to allow the buds that 
are left an opportunity to develop into the finest and 
