LARGE BI.OO M S 
its mechanical qualities, and assist soil bacteria in 
preparing food for the plants. If litmus paper is not 
conveniently near, you can test the soil by adding a 
teaspoonful of dilute ammonia water to a tablespoonful 
of soil in half a glass of water. Let the mixture stand 
four hours. If it turns intensely brown it is probable 
the soil contains acid vegetable matter. If the mixture 
turns black you can be even more certain that lime is 
needed to neutralize sourness. 
Fertilizing and cultivating are vitally connected. 
Success with dahlias depends far more upon cultivation 
than upon the application of fertilizers. Cultivation 
will produce fine dahlias in almost any soil, the lack of 
it means failure though all else be supplied. 
Fertilizer is only another name for plant food, 
nourishment. The dahlia is a hard worker, and a hard 
drinker, "a thirsty fellow." Like peonies they are 
gross feeders, and they need to be. It is not surprising 
that the feeding of such a hard working individual 
ought to be carefully considered and adequately, yet 
v/isely, done. Excessive food is more harmful than not 
enough. Consider what the dahlia plant sets out to 
accomplish. The labor of the excessive flower produc- 
tion is tremendous. Fifty blooms open at one time 
may be seen on a single plant of the beautiful Countess 
of Lonsdale; forty large, exquisite flowers, with stems 
a foot and a half long may be the season's output of one 
plant of Break O'Day. Besides flowers there are the 
