OFTHEDAHL1A 33 
You may cover your tubers six inches deep when 
planting, if you prefer, and when two or three, or even 
four sets of leaves have formed, (the earlier the better), 
pinch out the central, terminal bud of leaves. Many 
of your plants thus treated will become stocky, bushy, 
sturdy, with vigorous and strong branches for flower 
production. Some of the longer and stronger growing 
branches can also have tips pinched out if you wish. 
Tall growing varieties will be reduced about one third 
in height, and most storms will pass over them without 
harm. Indeed, it would be an unusually severe wind 
that could do them damage. 
If you wish each individual plant to be the best pos- 
sible plant, and its blooms as fine as the plant can pro- 
duce, allow but one plant, (stalk), to a place. A tuber 
is more apt to throw up two or more shoots than only 
one. If you cut a prematurely started sprout off when 
taking the tuber from storage, you are almost sure to 
have two shoots take the place of the wisely removed 
first sprout. Dahlias are energetically prolific. As 
soon as the strongest shoot can be determined cut off the 
others below ground, and if any reappear remove them 
also. Thus you will have a single but extremely sturdy 
plant. An additional advantage is the orderly and 
vigorous growth of the tubers. Where three or more 
shoots are allowed to grow each shoot tends to develop 
its own group of tubers. These underground groups of 
tubers compete with one another for plant food, for 
