26 
Ol)e Slower (Brower 
March, 1918 
THE DAHLIA. 
Preparation and 
Cultivation of the Soil. 
By J. K. Alexander. 
[Written expressly fur The Flower Grower . ] 
Preparation and cultivation of the 
soil are two very necessary and at the 
same time simple operations ; and per- 
haps that very simplicity is responsible 
for the fact that in by far the majority 
of cases neither one is performed 
thoroughly. But however simple they 
may appear, for the best results with 
Dahlias those two things must be done ; 
it is absolutely necessary. This neces- 
sity I want to drive home. 
Just why it is that the average ama- 
teur grower fails to realize the impor- 
tance of a thorough preparation and 
cultivation of the seed-bed, I fail to 
make out. It surely cannot be through 
ignorance ; if he picks up a seed cata- 
log of any description, if he reads the 
most elementary instructions for the 
planting and raising of anything under 
the sun, even if he does nothing but 
buy a package of seed, the essential in- 
formation stares him in the face. The 
most superficial search will yield ample 
information as to just what should be 
done. And yet, year after year, all 
these instructions and advice appar- 
ently fail to make a dent. Thousands 
of flower growers still continue a care- 
less and haphazard method of planting 
and growing that, while it displays a 
pleasing and touching optimism, will 
never obtain first class results. Care- 
less methods never have succeeded and 
they never will succeed. 
So far as the actual work is con- 
cerned I fully realize that there is 
little to be said that has not already 
been said a thousand times. Never- 
theless good advice remains new and 
right up-to-date until it has been fol- 
lowed. 
If the piece of ground selected for 
your Dahlias needs humus it must be 
supplied. What is humus ? The best 
definition I have heard is that humus 
is any material that has once been 
alive, vegetable or animal. This in- 
cludes a wide range of material for ap- 
plication and no excuse of inability to 
obtain it can be allowed ; even a crop 
of weeds spaded in will supply humus, 
and in many cases is readily available. 
Undoubtedly the best material for 
the purpose is stable manure, and it 
should be applied in the fall and turned 
in to allow time for rotting and disin- 
tegration. Ground that lacks humus 
is readily discerned by its showing a 
tendency to cake up when turned ; it 
falls from the spade or plow in hard 
lumps. Soil in this condition is no 
place for Dahlia bulbs. 
In the spring before planting the soil 
should be thoroughly worked over ; 
and I mean by that exactly what I say. 
It does not fill the bill to make a few 
passes with a garden rake on the top 
two or three inches and then dig a hole 
with a spade and drop the root in — not 
at all. The ground to a depth of about 
ten inches should be pulverized to the 
consistency of fine meal. Of course 
this takes time, time and patience, but 
if it is realized that this is to be the 
bed of the Dahlia bulb for the next 
three months and that this is the only 
opportunity to get into the proper con- 
dition the soil about the roots, an ex- 
tra half hour or so spent in making the 
bed reasonably habitable will not be 
grudged. 
This preparation is essential for the 
reason that the tiny, thread-like root- 
lets which spring out from the bulb 
must have conditions of such a nature 
that food and moisture can easily and 
quickly be assimilated. The first re- 
quirement is that every point upon 
their tiny surfaces should be in direct 
contact with the soil, and the only way 
in which this contact can be established 
and maintained is to have the soil mel- 
low and of the finest consistency. The 
more thoroughly this is done, the more 
food will be taken in by the growing 
plant with the consequent result of 
rapid, strong growth. 
Even more important, if possible, 
than the preparation is the cultivation 
while the plant is growing. Keep the 
top layer of earth about the plant in a 
high state of cultivation, stirring the 
soil constantly to a depth of two inches 
and a diameter of five or six feet ; this 
distance being necessary as certain va- 
rieties of Dahlias throw out long, slen- 
der root-runners sometimes to the 
distance of several feet. 
Never allow the top earth to form a 
crust for if this happens immediate 
loss of moisture is the result. A good 
illustration of this fact can be seen if, 
immediately after mulching a piece of 
ground, a person walks across it. In a 
remarkably short space of time the 
earth will be perfectly dry with the ex- 
ception of the spots where he has 
planted his feet, the foot prints will 
remain damp and moist. Evaporation 
everywhere else has stopped but the 
pressed down earth of the footprints 
continues to allow moisture to come 
up from below and escape by evapora- 
tion. 
There is another important reason 
why constant mulching is beneficial. 
Every foot of ground contains quanti- 
ties of unavailable plant food and 
every stirring of the ground releases 
for the use of the plant a certain por- 
tion of this food, makes it available for 
use. I do not know the precise quanti- 
ties thus released, but I do know from 
actual experience that a constant and 
thorough cultivation will materially 
reduce my fertilizer bill. 
This entire subject of preparation 
and cultivation is highly important 
and the results of proper and improper 
care cannot be overestimated. The 
amateur must remember that the Dah- 
lia below the ground is a constantly 
expanding group of bulbs and in con- 
sequence the seed-bed must be mellow 
and well worked to allow for this ex- 
pansion. He must bear in mind that the 
Dahlia contains an exceptionally high 
percentage of water and, as artificial 
watering should be avoided except in 
time of extreme drought, every drop 
of moisture must be conserved by a 
constant, energetic and intelligent cul- 
tivation. 
Grafting Dahlias. 
Take a Dahlia tuber the size of one’s 
finger, dormant or with growing roots 
and split the top end one inch down. 
Then take a sprout two to four inches 
long, trim off the lower leaves, cut the 
base wedge shaped, being careful to 
leave a bud near the base, and insert in 
the split root, tying the splices to hold 
the union and pod. Or if the season is 
advanced enough plant in the open 
ground. The plants will grow off, 
sometimes without wilting, making a 
fine blooming plant much quicker than 
a cutting and much more certain to 
grow. 
It is important to have an eye or bud 
near the base of the scion, as otherwise 
the plant may make a good growth 
and fine clump without any bud at the 
base and, of course, no plant the fol- 
lowing year. 
I have grafted tomatoes on potato 
roots and got a crop of tomatoes but 
never a potato. e. 
Gladiolus— Mrs. O. W. Halladay. 
[Subject of illustration on front cover page. ] 
This variety was originated by A. E. 
Kunderd and the stock was bought in 
1913 by C. W. Brown & Son. It was 
awarded first prize at the Connecticut 
State Fair in the fall of 1914 as the best 
undisseminated variety and was intro- 
duced by the above firm in 1915. 
The color is a delicate rose pink 
and the throat is heavily marked with 
a soft clear yellow. The color re- 
sembles a well ripened Crawford peach. 
The foliage is long, slender, slightly 
curved and of a bright green that sets 
off the flowers to good advantage. 
The flowers are of a good size and 
well placed on the stalk with six to 
eight open at a time in the field while 
in water ten or more will open at once. 
The plants are strong and vigorous 
and seldom have crooked spikes. 
Cormels are produced freely and 
nearly all grow. 
The flowers ship well and are in 
strong demand by florists. 
Collections of especially meritorious 
varieties of Gladioli as offered by the 
various advertisers in this issue we 
highly commend to those who desire 
to increase their varieties and become 
acquainted with some of the best new 
sorts. Collections are usually offered 
at a special rate and the amateur can 
secure bargains by ordering them. 
When the war is over those people 
who have neglected their flower gar- 
dens will wonder why they did it. This 
war is not going to last long, and any- 
way the need of flowers will be greater 
and greater the longer it lasts. 
