646 
CAe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
:Ma.v 4. mis 
The Flower Garden 
Dahlias : The Farm Flower 
Dnhlias iiptp!’ soptti to lose their popular¬ 
ity among farmers'wives. Whatever else 
the farm garden may lack, there is pretty 
certain to be a good display of Dahlias 
in the Fall. I’eT-haps it is well that this 
is so, for few dowers are more satisfac¬ 
tory. especially if only a small amount of 
attention can be given them. Of late 
years Dahlias have Iwen improved to a 
remarkable extent, and many new forms 
have been evolved. It is rather a ]>ity 
that more of these newer Dahlias are jiot 
to l)e found in the gardens of the farmers’ 
Avives. The Paeony-flowered Dahlia is al¬ 
most as beantifnl as a rose, while some 
of the new, Collarette Dahlias have a 
charm possessed by few flowers. One 
fact. how(>ver, must be admitted. Many 
of the liiindsomest of the new Dahlias aj*e 
quite hard to keej) through the Winter. 
They often spoil when kej)t under exactl.v 
the same conditions as the old-fashioned 
show Dahlias Avliich have gone through a 
succession of Winlei-s without loss. It is 
not advisable for anyone to invest heavily 
in Dahlias of the newer varieties until a 
test of their keeping qualities has been 
made. There are some sorts which even 
commercial gi'owers have difficulty in 
wintering. 
There seems to be an opinion among 
farmers’ wives that the best flowers are 
obtained when clumps of roots are plant¬ 
ed. This is a mistake; it is very much 
wiser to divide the clumps and to do it 
early in Spring. It is not advisable to 
divide them in the Fall or during the 
Winter months, as is sometimes done. 
The Dahlias will keei* during the Winter 
much better in clump form. In the Spring 
these clumps usually begin to send out 
sprouts, espeeiall.v if the cellar is a little 
damp. Then it becomes an easy matter 
to cut them up in such a way as to have 
an eye on every piece. Of course, a 
tuber will not grow unless a part of the 
neck containing an eye is attached. If 
the Dahlias do not start sprouting nat¬ 
urally it may be a good plan to j)ut them 
in a box of moss, or to place a newsi)aper 
over them and keep the p.aper moist so 
that the eyes will begin to develop. 
The clumps can be divided easily by 
the use of a sharp kuif<“. First divide the 
clump in halves and then cut away the 
individual tubers. If you have to divide 
the clumi)s before sju-outs start, be sure 
that :i good-sized portion of the crown or 
stalk is left on every bulb. Usually the 
best results are obtained by idanting a 
single bulb in .a hill. With .a weak ])laut 
it ina.v be (h‘sir.ahl(‘ to have two, but yo\i 
can alwa 3 's get better flowers from a sin¬ 
gle stalk than from several stalks, and the 
plants will not be so easily broken down. 
Don’t imagine that the size of the tuber is 
any criterion of what the j^lant Avill be. 
Some varieties always jAroduce A’^ery small 
tubers. You may think that they are too 
small to be of any value. Yet they may 
produce the Aery finest blossoms in your 
garden. That size is not important is in¬ 
dicated by the fact tlmt Dahlias groAvn 
from seed often flower the first year. 
When you plant your Dahlias, be sure 
to lay them on their sides and not to 
stand them upright, as many people seem 
to think necessary. They .should go un¬ 
der the ground about six inches, but Avith 
the eye or sj)rout facing upAvard. Dah¬ 
lias do not need A'ery rich ground. In 
fact, one of the best groAvers I knoAv has 
a garden plot which is half coal ashes. 
At any rate, cho’ose light soil and do not 
use manure. At the same time it may be 
distinctly advantageous to apply a little 
potato fertilizer, as it helps to produce 
extra fine floAvers. It is be.st used not 
under the tubers, but on top. First cover 
the tubers with an inch or two of soil. 
Then apply a small handful of fertilizer 
and fill the hole. If you find that the 
plants are lagging at any time during 
the season you can often push them along 
by applying Aveak manure water to the 
soil around them. 
Dahlias need cultivation just as much 
as any garden crop. In fact, you can’t 
expect to groAV good flowers unless you 
keep the soil well worked. MTien the 
plants begin to blossom, though, this culti- 
A’ation should sto]>, for the earth will then 
be filled Avith line roots, even near the 
surface, and they are likely to be cut off 
by the hoe or cultivator. These new 
roots are A’ery necessary, as they feed' the 
new bulbs being formed. Just as the 
plants appear above ground they are like¬ 
ly to be attacked by cutworms unless 
some method of combating these pests is 
Xcic ]*cony-iloirered Dahlia 
adopted. The grower already mentioned 
keeps a large ntunber of tomato cans on 
hand, the bottom as well as the top hav¬ 
ing been melted off, and sets a can over 
each plant, pushing it well into the 
gi'ound. Before the plants become too 
large the cans are removed, as the stalks 
are then too tough for the cutAVorms. 
Another way of combating these pests 
Dahlia Lc (iratul Manitoa 
is to stir toba(!CO <Iusf into the ground 
around the young shoots. 
If you are Avilling to .stake j-our plants, 
Avliich is some trouble, you can groAV them 
closer together than by anj’ other method, 
leaving from two to four feet betAveeu 
theiiu It is best to set the stake Avhen 
the Dahlia bulb is planted, so that the 
roots Avill not be disturbed, and you must 
begin to tie up the stalks as soon as they 
JIow to Divide a Dahlia Root 
are three feet high. When onlj' a single 
stalk is groAvn this method is a jiarticu- 
larly good one, and produces perfect floAV- 
ers. When a considerable number of 
plants are groAvu, the branching method 
may be iireferred. Then the plants are 
grown in hills-v or roAA’s, and the tops 
pinched out as soon as two sets of leaves 
h.ave been made. Four branches then 
start, as a rule, and make a bushy, ro- 
binst plant. Avhich is not likely to be bloAvn 
over even Avhen stakes are not used. This 
is a good method to follow Avith many 
of the newer Dahlias, AA'hich are not so 
strong as some of the older kinds. Farm¬ 
ers’ wives who live near the seashore can 
grow extra fine Dahlias, for these plants 
seem to have an especial liking for .salt 
air. Dahlias thrive, however, in almost 
an.v section if they can haA^e sunlight all 
day long, but they prefer a light, sandy 
soil. 
Very high prices are l>eing charged for 
.some of the new varieties, but many of 
the older sorts are just as attractive. 
Among the decorative varieties, Sylvia, 
Le Grand Manitou, Minos, Souvenir de 
Gustave Doazon and Papa Gharmet Avill 
be foiuid excellent. Some goinl single 
Dahlias are Blanche, White Cloud. Mil¬ 
dred and Dys.ander. Maurice UiA'oire is 
one of the best known varieties of the 
ncAV collarette t.vpe, but the newer 
AchieA’emejit is perhaps finer. .Tupiter 
and Meteor are good collarettes, too. 
Among the piuony-floAS'ered Dahlias. A\hich 
many people consider the finest of all. 
are Avalanche, Chatenay, Geisha, Hamp¬ 
ton Court. Queen "Wilhelmina and Sur¬ 
prise. E. . 7 . FAHRTNGTOX. 
Transplanting Laurel; Unthrifty Roses 
When is the proper time for moving the 
Ti-ative mountain laurel? Everyone ,sa.vs it 
should be moved in the Fall, and I am 
sure I have read that it should only be 
moved when it is in bloom. Would it 
do well planted on the southwest side of 
the house, Avhere it gets sun from about 
12 o’clock on? How and when should 
lime be applied to my roses? They are 
planted in red clay soil enriched with ma¬ 
nure, and, instead’ of doing better as the 
bushes get older, they do much better 
when they are first planted. s. B. 
Rajddan, Va. 
It is not stated in the question whether 
Kalmia IjAifolia or Rhododendron maxi¬ 
mum is meant. Both species are com¬ 
monly called mountain laurel, but there is 
a wide differeiice between them, notAvith- 
standing both are members of the natur.al 
order Ericacese. The Rhododendron is 
very ea.sily transplanted from the wild 
state to the home grounds, and with a 
little care in the digging and transplant¬ 
ing, the Avork may be successfully done 
at almost any season of the year that the 
soil is not frozen, whereas the wild Kal¬ 
mia is most difficult to transplant, only 
the ver.y small plants succeeding, and 
then only when they are lifted so as not 
to de.stroy an.v of the roots, and being 
tran.splanted in the same kind of soil in 
whidi the.y naturall.v grew. After one or 
two years under cultivation they can 
then be moved to almost anywhere, and 
planted in almost any kind of soil, with 
every assurance of succes.s. Wild Kalmias 
should be tran.si)lanted in April or early 
May. 
From the meager information at hand 
it is a hard matter to tell what ails your 
roses, but it is more than likely due to 
the lack of fertility in the soil and culti¬ 
vation. The manure applied at time of 
idanting Avould, of cour.se, carry them 
through the first year in fairly good 
shape, but unless the manurial applica¬ 
tions Avere continued annually, the plants 
Avould suffer slow staiwation and finally 
die. I Avould suggest that you give them 
a liberal application of well-rotted ma¬ 
nure and bone meal Ri)aded in aro«nd the 
plants this Spring, and keep the ground 
cultivated during the Summer. Then 
mulch Avith straAvy manure in the Fall. 
Roses require good feeding and care, and 
when this is neglected they Avill not thrive 
well. Apply lime at any time. k. 
Notes on Maple Syrup 
Soft Coal for Evaporating Syrup 
Can anj'one give experience in using 
soft coal in making maple syruj), and can 
it be done at a itrofit? The syrup to be 
sold, say, at .^2 per gallon, and the coal 
to cost .$8 a ton. AVould it pay to buy a 
first-class evajtorator and ])ut up a build¬ 
ing to use it? N.T. ]i. 
Michigan. 
It is perfectly practicable to boil sap 
or syrup AAuth either hard or soft coal, 
though some slight changes Avill be neces¬ 
sary in the grates and drafts in order 
to get the best results. Whether or not 
such fuel Avill b( more economical than 
wood Avill depend upon the relative prices. 
It Avill certainly effect a large saving in 
the labor of keeping the fires. The cost 
of an outfit for handling the sap from 
500 trees, at normal prices, is closely in 
the vicinit.v of .8500. This includes a 
first-class evaporator and a suitable 
building. For larger orchards it is less 
in proportion. One man and team can 
easily do all the Avork In such an orchard. 
The average yield of such an orchard in 
Michigan is closely arouml 12.5 gallons of 
syrup. Avorth $2.50. Interest and de¬ 
preciation may amount to .$.50. Cost of 
fuel may amount to .$25, thus leaving 
$12.5 as the returns of the labor of man 
and team for from three to four weeks. 
From these figures the subscriber can 
calcuhate Avhether or not the m.anufacture 
of maple sAigar is profitable. o. o. o. 
The Necessity of Labels 
Will you inform me in regard to label¬ 
ing maple syrup? Does it really have to 
be labeled to sell in this State? c. S. AV. 
Otego, N. Y'. 
The pure food Irav requires that maple 
syrup .shall contain not more than .‘15 
per cent of Avater, and shall weigh not 
less than 11 potinds per gallon. If one is 
.selling maple syrup of .a lighter Aveight or 
a loAver stigar content, it would be neces¬ 
sary to label it, and state the percentage 
of water .Vlso, if the syrup contains an 
admixture of cane sugar or of flavoring 
extracts, it will be necessary for it to 
bear a label stating the fact and the per¬ 
centage of adulteration. But if it is a 
pure maple product of standard weight 
and SAigar content, a label is no more 
necessary than in the case of any other 
farm product. But why object to labels? 
We find that they are an important factor 
in creating a demand for our maple prod¬ 
ucts. An attractive syrup label costs 
half a cent jind makes a diff’erence of 2.5 
cents in the selling price of a gallon of 
maple syrup. o. o. o. 
Gathering Sap with Hose 
I am working Avith my neighbor at 
present on maple syrup and find that the 
setting of the buckets and the gathering 
of the sap takes a good deal of time, to 
say nothing about the spilling of sap, 
blowing off of buckets and the bother 
Avith some cover.s. The following idea 
came to me and I should like to hear 
what you think about it before I go any 
further. My idea is to have the sap run 
into one bucket of each tree (or not more 
than two) by rubber hose, and then 
simply exchange the full bucket with an 
empty one. The main advantage in 
gathering the sap by this kind of outfit 
would be in making it cheaper all around. 
The ho.se would be made in one, tAvo and 
three-foot lengths to fit .small and big 
trees, one long and one shorter hose Avifli 
one straight and one Y piece on the (muIs. 
Heath, Mass. N. b. 
'The principal objections to this ar¬ 
rangement, so far as I can under.stand. 
from the description, are: First, <'o.st of 
the equii)ment; second, cost of iustall.a- 
tion, for it must be remembered that the 
tap-holes are not permanently placed, but 
are changed every .season, thus necessitat¬ 
ing a complete refitting every year: 
third, difficulty of keeping the rubbers 
clean. They would need to be Avashed 
and scalded several times each siui.son, or 
they would become impregnated Avith sap- 
souring bacteria, and an inferior jiroduct 
w'ould result. Fourth, the repeated 
scalding of the rubbers Avould .soon de¬ 
stroy them, and the item of depreciation 
in value, alone, would be in excess of any 
possible advantages that might be gained. 
Various attempts have been made to de¬ 
vise some method Avhereby the sap might 
be conducted from the individual trees to 
some central point, but Jione has met 
W’ith any degree of success, and I fail to 
see any advantage in this scheme. Hoav- 
ever, I would suggest that the inquirer 
develop the scheme and give it a practical 
demonstration. There is a big fortune 
waiting for the man Avho can perfect and 
make jiractical such an apparatus. 
c. o. o. 
A Basket Potato Crop 
1 Avill tell you as briefly as possible my 
experience in “pen” ))otato raising. In¬ 
stead of a pen, I used ordinary half-bushel 
baskets, using good old i)otatoes, but 
planting onl.v the eyes. Fii-st, 1 placed 
about four inches of dirt in the basket.s, 
l)laced the eyes on it. covered them with 
about three inches of dirt, then more 
eyes again, then three inches of dirt. 
On top of all this I placed about four 
inches of straw and then lay uarroAV 
.strips across the top to hold the straAV 
doAvn. They came up nicely, and in the 
F.all when they were harvested I got 
about .‘>0 fairly good-sized potatoes which 
we Avere able to use, and about 00 that 
Avere too small for any use. 
Ohio. :mrs. k. m. seii.ek. 
