Page 26 
DAHLIADEL NURSERIES 
deep and place in it a row of porous drainage tile with 
a uniform fall toward the low end. Connect the rows 
of tile across at top and bottom (glazed sewer tile 
tees suggested), install a gate valve at the low corner, 
and pipe off so that the water will readily drain away 
On the high corner of your garden, install a vertica 1 
tile stand pipe in which a float valve or hose can be 
used for filling. In wet weather, leave the gate valve 
open to drain. In dry weather, close the gate and run 
water in the stand-pipe until you have given your 
dahlias a good drink by sub-irrigation. This system can 
be made still more efficient by filling in around the 
drainage tile with a coarse porous material, such as 
coarse ashes or coarse sand, before filling level with 
regular garden soil. This installation will not be un¬ 
sightly and last indefinitely. 
Automatic overhead irrigation is the most satisfactory 
all-round system for light soils. It is ideal for the early 
growing season and we recommend its use in the middle 
of the day in bright sunshine during this period, as it 
will discourage thrips and leaf hoppers and control red 
spider. If insects are bad we recommend sprinkling 
every two or three days from 1 to 1 Vi hours each 
time until insects are under control, then harden the 
plants off with less water and more cultivation. This 
will not only discourage insects but help the plants 
out-grow the insect injury. When bushes are well 
developed and buds breaking it is best to water after 
nightfall, less often and more thoroughly. Once a week 
should be sufficient in real dry weather. 
CULTIVATION 
By cultivating at least once a week, and as soon 
after rain or irrigating as the ground can be worked, 
the weeds will be held in check and a soil mulch 
formed which will conserve the moisture and lessen the 
need of irrigation. 
As the plant develops and the feed roots come toward 
the surface, the ground should be worked rather shal¬ 
low around the hill for the radius of at least a foot. 
Still work the balance of the ground rather deep and 
bring some fresh soil to the plant at each cultivation, 
giving the plant a new supply of food and protecting 
the surface roots from the heat of the sun. Have the 
hills mounded 3 to 5 inches by the middle of September 
This will help support the stalks and protect the roots 
from freezing should an unexpected cold spell catch 
you before digging. 
PESTS 
THRIPS are tiny insects which in the nymph stage 
are less than Va of an inch long and a greenish gray 
color. They enter the growing leaf bud and chafe the 
newly formed leaves, injuring them so that they de¬ 
velop malformed and curled, also injuring the small 
flower buds and stems. These insects seem to enjoy 
the life blood of certain varieties on account of its 
flavor and do not molest the adjacent bush. If the 
attack is not checked the leaves will be gnarled and 
twisted, the buds one-sided or so injured that they dry 
up and fall off. This usually results in a stunted bush, 
which in reality is only debilitated by insect ravages 
LEAF-HOPPERS are larger than thrips and of a pale 
yellowish green color, a little over Va of an inch in 
length. They fly when the bush is touched during the 
heat of the day. These sucking insects do much tc 
keep a plant from getting a good start. 
APHIDS (planr lice) are soft-bodied, sucking insects 
which usually work on the under side of the leaves in 
groups, causing the leaves to curl. Thrips, leaf-hoppers 
and aphids are common carriers of virus diseases and 
should be kept in control for this reason, if for no other. 
A good control method is to spray with pyrethrum 
soap. This can be done at any time of day and re¬ 
gardless of weather conditions, except rain. We have 
found this very effective for leaf-hoppers, thrips, red 
spiders and aphids. Use 4 ounces to 5 gallons of water. 
For all beetles, grasshoppers, ants and more hardy 
insects, use double strength or half the amount of 
water. Should a bush be infested with ants, spray 
bush and pour a few quarts of spray down the ant 
hill, or enough to fill the hill. This will do the dahlia 
no harm, but kill the ants. Some of our customers 
have had wonderful results by using a pyrethrum soap, 
4 ounces to 5 gallons, and adding 1 Vi teaspoonsful of 
Black Leaf 40 to each gallon. This kills not only by 
asphyxiation, but also by the toxic action of the 
pyrethrum. 
Another control of thrips, leaf-hoppers and aphids is 
dusting with a good nicotine dust. Apply in sunshine 
with the temperature above 70 degrees at weekly in¬ 
tervals as a preventive from the time the plants are 
set or roots start to grow, and if any should appeal 
then about every four days until they disappear. 
During the windy weather when dust cannot be 
applied to advantage, overhead sprinklers used during 
the heat of the day will control red spider and check 
the leaf-hoppers and thrips. See “Irrigation.” 
By dusting or spraying before the presence of insects, 
it is doubtful if you will see any. As it is difficult to 
procure nicotine dust and pyrethrum soap in most 
localities, we are listing them under “Dahlia Grower’s 
Supplies.” 
CUT WORMS are easily controlled by scattering 
about a teaspoonful of poison bran bait around the 
plant (but not touching it) as soon as plants are set 
or shoots appear from roots. The early evening is the 
best time to apply it. 
2 tablespoonfuls of molasses or brown sugar (dis¬ 
solved). 
1 level teaspoonful paris green mixed in. 
Juice of an orange or equivalent in water. 
1 quart of bran or enough to make a reasonably dry 
mash. 
STEM BORER. This black-and-white-striped worm 
when small enters the stem just above the ground and 
usually works upward. It will be noticed in the early 
season by the shortening of the internodes and later 
on by wilting. When noticed early, cut the plant off 
near the ground and get the borer with your knife. 
If the borer is below where you want to cut back, use 
a hooked wire from the top. A plant cut back not 
later than July 15th should be in full bloom early in 
September. Wax or plaster paris may be used to 
