East Bridgewater Dahlia Cardens J. K. Alexander , East Bridgewater , Massachusetts 
Collection of three 
Colossal Dahlias 
for 75c, prepaid. 
ROSE, at the 
right. (See page 
35). 
REGGIE, at the 
left. (See page 
32). 
YELLOW CO- 
LOSSE, below. 
For description 
see page 31. 
bulbs which form 
will grow near 
the top of the 
ground and when 
you have a drv 
spell your plant 
becomes stunted, 
whereas, if the bulbs 
were planted flat down 
6 inches deep, no mat¬ 
ter how dry the sea¬ 
son, the bulbs would 
receive sufficient 
moisture to keep them 
growing. If planting 
with manure, cover 
manure an inch or so 
before planting bulbs ; 
fertilizer should be 
thoroughly worked into the soil. Either fertilizer 
or manure will burn the sprout; be sure to cover 
with soil. 
By planting the bulb first, then covering an inch 
or so with soil and applying your fertilizer or 
manure, your plant receives the entire benefit of 
the dressing. The dressing is above the bulb and 
every rain carries the food down to the roots, 
whereas, if your dressing is below the bulb, each 
rain takes your dressing further away from your 
plant. 
baking, and con- 
erving the 
moisture in the 
soil, thus avoid¬ 
ing the necessi¬ 
ty of watering. 
As the shoot 
or plant com¬ 
mences to show 
itself above the 
ground, care 
should be tak¬ 
en at this time 
for the preven¬ 
tion of cut¬ 
worms and other 
pests that de¬ 
stroy the young 
shoots ; I recom¬ 
mend vermine, 
aphol, cut-worm 
food or tobacco 
dust, as best pre¬ 
ventive for these pests. 
As soon as the plants attain a 
height of 8 to 10 inches it is time 
to commence to “train” your plants. 
There are three systems from 
which you must choose: The Stak¬ 
ing System, the Branching Method, 
and the Massing System. 
The Staking System is the moat 
popular, many amateurs finding 
it the most successful. Dahlias 
under this system should be 
planted from 2 to 4 feet apart, 
according to the amount of space 
you have to devote—the larger, 
the more robust the plants. 
Stakes should be set when the 
Dahlia is planted. As soon as plants 
attain a height of 2 to 3 feet they 
should be secured to the stakes, thus 
protecting them and preventing the 
brittle stalks from being blown over 
or getting broken. 
The Branching Method. This sys¬ 
tem is advocated by many profes¬ 
sionals and does away with staking. 
Plant in hills or rows from 18 to 30 
inches apart. When your plant has 
two sets of leaves, pinch off or cut 
out the whole top of the plant; at 
each leaf a branch will start, thus 
making four branches, one at each 
leaf. Do not pinch off your plant 
more than once, as this system makes your plants 
two weeks later in flowering; but you receive four 
flower stalks, each of which will blossom equal to 
the one stalk which you would have received had 
you left your plants growing without pinching. 
When the plant is grown it will have a short, 
strong, single stalk, which comes only an inch or 
two above the ground, with four branches of flower¬ 
ing stalks. The plant is short and has a neat 
branching appearance; the branches are self-sup¬ 
porting and are not easily blown over by the winds. 
Summary: Plant bulb 6 inches deep, flat down, 
having sprout or eye facing upward; cover with 
soil an inch or so, applying dressing, and cover in 
level. 
CULTIVATION. Cultivation is the principal re¬ 
quirement of the Dahlia—the most important of 
all operations to insure success. Keep the soil well 
cultivated and free from weeds ; never allow the 
soil to crust. 
CARE OF PLANTS. Give thorough cultivation, 
deep at first, and continued once a week until the 
plants commence to flower. After they commence 
to blossom do not cultivate, as then is the time the 
new roots are forming and you are apt to cut off 
the new tubers, weakening the growth of the plant. 
Do not fail to stir the soil after each rain, keeping 
the soil from forming a crust on the surface, or 
The Massing System. This is the system I use in 
planting my immense fields—avoiding the extra 
labor and expense of staking, the woodeny effect of 
stakes in your garden and giving a solid mass of 
foliage and flowers, more beautiful and effective 
than where Nature’s beauty is broken at each inter¬ 
val with a stake. Plant bulbs in rows from 10 
inches to 2 feet apart, according to the amount of 
space you have to devote. The plants are self-sup¬ 
porting, each plant supporting and protecting the 
other. 
At the height of 18 inches spray occasionally 
with arsenate of lead, nico-fume liquid, nicoticide, 
tobakine, whale oil solution or other first-class 
solutions to kill and keep away the aphis or green 
fly. which often infest Dahlias. 
Both wood ashes and lime are good at all times, 
and in addition to being good fertilizers, are effect¬ 
ive as preventives against insect pests. 
3 
