J. K. Alexander , E. Bridgewater , Massachusetts E. Bridgewater Dahlia Gardens 
History of 
The Dahlia is a native of Mexico, where it grew 
wild, and in its single form. Earliest history dates 
back to 1657, when it was called Acoctli by the 
Aztec Indians. Later the name was changed to 
Georgiana, after Professor Georgi of St. Petersburg, 
which name is still used in some of the foreign 
catalogs. It was again changed to Dahlia, in 
honor of Dr. Andrew Dahl, a Swedish botanist. 
The Dahlia was first cultivated in the Botanic 
Gardens, at Madrid, Spain, in 1789, and at about 
the same time was introduced into England by the 
Marchioness of Butte. 
Dahlia Variabilis, from which most of the com¬ 
mon or Show Dahlias have originated, was single 
in its wild state. The first double forms appeared 
the Dahlia 
in 1814 rod WVfl ondlted to M. Donkelaar of the 
Botanical Gardens of Belgium. The Pompon form 
appeared about 1858, followed by the Decorative, 
the origin of which is not clearly defined, but prob¬ 
ably dates back some 40 or 50 years. Dahlia Jaurezi, 
the first of Cactus Dahlia, was discovered in Juxphaor, 
Mexico, in 1872, by J. T. Vanderberg, and named 
Juarezi in honor of President Jarcz of Mexico. It was 
sent by Vanderberg to an English florist, who exhibited 
it in England in 1880. 
Dahlia tubers or bulbs were used as a food in Mexico 
and at one time in France. It was attempted to 
introduce them into cultivation in all Europe as a food 
for either man or cattle, but the taste was found 
nauseous to European palates. 
of the Dahlia 
The Culture 
Success Will Follow If You Observe These Instructions 
PREPARATION. The soil should be thorough¬ 
ly cultivated; ploughed or spaded 8 to 10 inches 
deep, well pulverized and thoroughly worked over, 
thus affording an opportunity for rapid expansion, 
and making an easy path for the tiny rootlets. To 
secure exceptional results, have your soil ploughed 
or spaded in the Pall, or as early as practicable in 
the Spring; then just before planting have soil thor¬ 
oughly ploughed or spaded again. 
FERTILIZER. Fertilization is one of the most 
important factors, to be successful with Dahlias. 
We all know that a growing plant, the Dahlia for 
instance, requires and takes from the soil certain 
properties; and in order to keep the soil in correct 
proportion, the materials the Dahlia takes from the 
soil must be restored. This must be done by fertiliza¬ 
tion. You can use dressing (either horse, cow, sheep 
or hen), or chemicals, or any commercial fertilizer 
rich in nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid. Fish and 
potash, acid phosphate in the form of bone flour, or 
suphate of potash, are also very effective. My system 
of fertilization—every other fall I give my land a top¬ 
dressing of stable manure, ploughing under and alter¬ 
nate with lime, using this as a top¬ 
dressing. 
The manure restores the properties 
necessary, and makes the soil light and 
mellow, keeps it from being heavy 
and caking, while lime has the same 
tendency and keeps the soil sweet. 
When planting in the spring I use com¬ 
mercial fertilizers exclusively (a com¬ 
plete potato fertilizer and ground bone- 
meal in equal proportions). Every 
fourth or fifth year I make a Fall 
planting of Winter rye, then turn under 
in the Spring, planting the bulbs with 
commercial fertilizers. 
An application of manure (either in 
liquid or ordinary form), several times 
throughout the growing season proves 
very beneficial, furnishing new material 
for the growing plants and insuring you 
the very best results. 
At the time of planting, two liberal 
handfulls of fertilizer around the in¬ 
dividual tubers would be what I would 
recommend. After the plants attain a 
height of three feet, either a handful 
of fertilizer or any other dressing or 
manure should be used, and when hoe¬ 
ing, it should bo hoed in around the 
plants. After the plants commence to 
bloom, it is always well to use fertilizer 
or dressing around the top of the plants, 
broadcast on the ground, so that the 
rains will carry it down to the roots. 
If applied every three weeks, it will 
prove very beneficial, although not 
absolutely necessary, as the fertilizer 
used when planting would be sufficient 
to carry the plants through. However, 
it helps your plants to produce larger 
MRS. RANDT—Incurved Cactus Dahlia. $1.00 each. and better quality flowers, giving them 
(For description see page 12.) ^ they reQUire 
LOCATION. The Dahlia is not as particular as 
most of our flowers, and will succeed under a great 
many adverse conditions. There are, however, cer¬ 
tain locations where Dahlias seem to outdo them¬ 
selves. An open sunny location seems to favor 
them at all times. Dahlias do well on high and 
low lands, on hillsides or perfectly level land, giv¬ 
ing good results in each location. 
I find Dahlias are particularly adapted for sea¬ 
shore use, and not only do well, but thrive, for the 
reason of the moisture, and principally the heavy 
dews which collect during the nights. 
I also find that many varieties do well in partial 
shade, producing fully as good flowers as they do 
in the hot sun, especially for exhibition purposes. 
Dahlias will grow and do equally well in any kind 
of soil. I have sand, gravel, heavy and light loam, 
low land and hills, and find very little difference, as 
far as the number of flowers is concerned, the only 
difference being that in sand and gravel they form a 
short, sturdy, compact plant, and in heavy loam and 
low land they grow tall and rank, blossoming about a 
week later than those planted at the same time in 
sandy soil. 
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