13 
Luther Burbank's conviction that the first few 
weeks of a plant's life determines its destiny is an 
excellent guide to dahlia growing. In a soil light 
enough by nature, or made right by mechanical means, 
such as sand, humus, or cinders, if it is of good fertility 
planting dahlia roots without the addition of any fer- 
tilizer except liberal amounts of bone meal appears to 
be safe, and results are excellent. Where the soil is 
decidedly infertile well-rotted, old stable manure is 
needed. If not to be had a very little sheep manure 
well mixed with the soil near each tuber will give the 
vigorous start the first few weeks of growth seem to 
demand. 
Bone meal is the dahlia fertilizer par excellence. 
Apparently there is nothing that can fully take its place, 
nothing that is anywhere near as good. It gives stock- 
ier growth, greater vigor, and more flowers. Bone 
meal is rich in phosphoric acid and affords the plants 
a long, slow, safe supply. Seed cannot be produced 
without this substance. Fertilizers containing it al- 
ways stimulate and increase flower production. 
Every 300 square feet of dahlia plot can have 1 00 
pounds of bone meal. There is no loss in raking or 
plowing it in during the fall. It does not wash away, as 
a potash fertilizer would, and as it only slowly decom- 
poses it will be immediately available for the plants the 
following spring. One need not hesitate to plow bone 
meal in deeply. Your soil may have once supported 
