4 
J. K. Alexander. E. Bridgewater, Mass. 
The Methods of Growing the Dahlia. 
Read 
The principal requirement of the Dahlia is 
a sunny location with ordinary soil, but X 
find that many varieties will do well with par¬ 
tial shade, and produce fully as good flowers 
as they do in the hot sun, especially for ex¬ 
hibition purposes. In preparing the soil the 
ground should be thoroughly cultivated eight 
to ten inches deep with plow or spade. The 
Dahlia then should be laid flat down, with the 
crown from which the sprout starts fully six 
Inches deep; before using fertilizer or dress¬ 
ing it is well to cover the crown from which 
the sprout starts, an inch or so. This will 
protect the sprout from becoming injured. 
Dahlias when grown should either be staked 
or the single branching method used. When 
the plant has two sets of leaves then pinch 
the top of the plant off with your thumb and 
forefinger, this will leave two sets of leaves 
and four branches will then start, one at each 
leaf; and this saves staking. When the plant 
is grown it will have a short, strong, single 
stem, which comes only an inch or two above 
ground, giving the plant a neat branching ap¬ 
pearance. If you are to use this method do 
not pinch your plants off but once, for this 
system will delay you about two weeks longer 
in getting blooms, unless you plant two weeks 
earlier. Many of the amateur growers pre¬ 
fer using stakes when planting, this will in 
most cases insure earlier blooms, but if Stakes 
are used they should be set before the Dahlia 
is planted. When planting bulbs it is well 
to have them three feet apart in the rows, 
and five feet between the rows, if you are 
looking for first-class results. But in case 
How to Keep Cut 
Cut the flowers in the early part of the day 
if possible, especially Cactus, Decorative, 
Peony-flowered and Single varieties, and 
plunge the stems at once, nearly their entire 
length, into water as hot as can be borne by 
one's hand. Let them remain in the water 
until it cools, after which they may be placed 
in cold water in the usual manner, but with 
the addition of a quarter-teaspoonful of salt 
to a quart of water. When the stems are 
particularly hard and wiry, water near the 
boiling point may be safely used with good 
them. 
you wish to mass them for hedging or bor¬ 
ders they can be set IS inches apart, but it is 
best to plant only one tuber in a row, with 
one or two sprouts on same, and in most 
cases they will flower fully as well as if 
planted In hills. The system I have adopted 
in planting my fields is the massing system, 
but I do not plant my bulbs till late. The 
first Monday in June is the time when I com¬ 
mence to plant my immense fields, and I do 
not generally finish till the latter part of the 
month, or the first of July. In this case I do 
not use the single branching method or the 
staking system. I find that late planting will 
do away with both, and my plants flower 
nearly as early; and if you will notice the 
photos of my fields on pages 2-1 and 25 you 
will see my plants flower well under this sys¬ 
tem. The Dahlia is one of the easiest plants 
to grow, and will produce more flowers than 
any other plant in the garden if properly 
cared for. The principal requirement of the 
Dahlia is cultivation. Do not be afraid to 
use your hoe or cultivator around your plants 
after they come through the ground, as this 
will do more to assist you in getting better 
results than any other system, out do not hoe 
or cultivate any after your plant commences 
to flower, as this is very apt to cut off the 
new tubers and weaken the growth of the 
plant. 
In this section of the country the Dahlia 
can be planted any time after April 15th, and 
if planted by May 30th they will flower by 
the middle of July to the nrst of August. 
Blooms of Dahlias, 
results. Freshly cut flowers, treated as above, 
will keep considerably louger in good condi¬ 
tion than when treated in tne ordinary man¬ 
ner. Flowers that may have become wilted 
are always greatly revived, and when their 
condition is not too serious, are often entirely 
restored in appearance by this treatment. 
Try it and be convinced, but do not make 
the mistake of submerging the flowers nor 
the foliage, but regulate the depth of water 
to the length of the stems. 
To Assist in Making Selection. 
I find many of my friends and customers 
who, after reading my Catalogue, find it very 
difficult and complexing to select from the 
large list of varieties kinds that are most 
suitable for their purpose. In this case I 
would be pleased to assist you to the best of 
my ability, and while I cannot guarantee 
first-class results on account of poor loca¬ 
tion, and the indifference in cultivation which 
may exist through the inexperience of any 
customer, I will exercise my best judgment, 
giving you the benefit of my experience, se¬ 
lecting varieties that I consider the very best, 
although I would like the customer to state 
plainly the type preferred. 
