2 
J. K. Alexander, E. Bridgewater, Mass. 
I would recommend that customers order early as my orders are booked 
in rotation and shipped accordingly. My stock is tested before being ship¬ 
ped to our customers. I shall take as much pains in the future as in the 
past to send out nothing but FIRST-CLASS STOCK, and to continue the 
same by prompt, liberal and conscientious dealings. Hoping to receive a 
share of your patronage this coming season, I remain, 
Respectfully yours, 
THE EASTERN DAHLIA KING, (Copyrighted), 
J. K. ALEXANDER, East Bridgewater, Mass. 
January 1, 1913. Long Distance Telephone Connection. 
THE METHODS OF GROWING THE DAHLIA. 
READ THEM. 
The principal requirement of the Dahlia is a sunny location with ordinary 
soil, but we find that many varieties will do well with partial shade, and 
produce fully as good flowers as they do in the hot sun, especially for exhi¬ 
bition uses. In preparing the soil the ground should be thoroughly culti¬ 
vated to the depth of eight to ten inches deep with plow or spade. The 
Dahlia then should be laid flat down, with the crown where the sprout is 
fully six inches deep; before using your fertilizer or dressing it is well to 
cover the crown where the sprout is an inch or so. This will keep the 
sprout from getting injured. Dahlias when grown should either be staked 
or the single branching method used. When the plant gets 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 appearance. 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, without you plant two weeks earlier. 
Many of the amateur growers prefer 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 you wish to mass them for 
hedging or borders they can be set 18 inches apart, but it is not wise to set 
only one tuber in a hill, with one or twoi sprouts on same, and in most cases 
they will flower fully as well as if planted in hills. Our sys¬ 
tem we use in our fields for planting is the massing system, 
but we do not plant our bulbs till late. The first Monday in 
June is the time when we begin to plant our immense fields, 
and we do not generally finish till the latter part of the month, or the 
first of July. In this case we do not use the single branching method or 
the staking system. We find that late planting will do away with both, and 
our plants flower nearly as early, and if you will notice the photos of our 
fields on Pages 24 and 25 you will see our plants flower well under this 
system. 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 get out of the ground, 
as this will do more to assist you in getting better results than any other 
system, but do not hoe or cultivate any after your plant begins 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 first of August. 
