CULTIVATION 
jungle of growth, over six feet high, easily broken by 
high winds, especially if it is a wet summer, the growth 
becoming very tender. 
The dahlia can be grown in any State in the Union 
although the early frosts of northern Maine, New York, 
and some other States make the season a comparatively 
short one, particularly so since spring comes so late 
where frosts are early in the autumn. 
More fortunate sections of the country afford over 
seven months of growing weather from planting to 
frost. Around Philadelphia, in 1919 and 1920 some 
dahlia gardens were untouched by frost, and that 
without protection, until November 20. Reports on 
October 30 in 1 920 from the District of Columbia, and 
from Maryland, showed dahlias blooming in unharmed 
profusion. A report from California December first 
tells of cutting a profusion of blooms on that date. In 
lower New Hampshire frost occurred October 9, in 1 92 1 , 
and on November 1 in 1920. On October 24, 1921, 
dahlias were still blooming profusely in eastern Massa- 
chusetts. November 2, 1921, brought the first killing 
frost in Michigan. October 17, 1921, dahlia blooms 
were flourishing in Ohio. 
The average date of the last killing frost in spring, 
as recorded by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, is 
considered as the opening of the growing season for 
each State. Plowing usually precedes this date from 
15 to 30 days. The occurrence of the first killing 
