East Bridgewater Dahlia Cardens J. K. Alexander , East Bridgewater , Massachusetts 
constant surface sprinkling every day that causes 
surface roots and soft growth, that I do not ad¬ 
vise. A thorough soaking once or twice a week 
during a drought, with the soil stirred the following 
day, is an excellent thing where water and time 
is at hand. 
However, for commercial purposes we receive 
better results by not using water. 
HARVESTING. The harvesting and packing 
for winter is very important, upon which depends 
your future success. Should you loose your Dahlias 
during the winter, you will be obliged to buy new 
ones in the spring; therefore these suggestions are 
important. 
Dahlias should be harvested shortly after their 
foliage has been killed by frost; I find from ex¬ 
perience that as soon as the frost kills the foliage 
the strength of the stalk recedes back into the 
bulbs, and that if they are not harvested shortly, 
each bulb sends forth a sprout which becomes a 
shoot, and if left long enough a stalk, and as there 
is danger of frost any time after the first severe 
frost, no matter how long left, can never grow 
long enough to reach maturity and blossom before 
being killed. This sprout or shoot is new, brittle 
growth, not hard and woody like the stalk; and 
when the clumps are dry, if the sprout is two or 
three inches long, it is generally left to re¬ 
main, if a foot or so long is cut off, the same as 
the stalk ; in either case this new and brittle growth 
lacking substance, and as it has not sufficient 
substance to carry it through the winter, the 
sprout commences to decay during the winter 
months, oftentimes causing the whole clump to de¬ 
cay ; and however the case, the plant life and vital¬ 
ity required to grow this is wasted, because it 
is taken from the clump; this same life and vital¬ 
ity should have been used in the spring, when it 
would be ten times as valuable. By digging two or 
three days after your plant has been killed by frost, 
your clumps are in a perfectly dormant condition ; 
having no sprouts, and keeping perfectly all win¬ 
ter, sending forth sprouts in the spring, which is 
the proper time. Dahlias may be dug with fork, 
spade or plow. In digging or harvesting the clump, 
great care should be taken, dig them, and dig 
very carefully, do not pull them up. You have a 
large cluster of bulbs or clump ; each bulb has a 
neck, which is the small portion between the bulb 
and where it joins the stalk. The clump should 
be dug or lifted carefully, so not to break the 
necks of the bulbs ; if you crack, girdle, or break 
a neck, sometimes they will dry up, other times 
decay; however, when the clump is divided, the 
bulb with a broken neck is weak and not as good, 
and requires longer for the bulb to become estab¬ 
lished before they commence to grow after they are 
planted in the ground. After removing the clump, 
shake gently to remove what soil that would natur¬ 
ally fall off. Cut off top within two or three inches 
above top of clump; allowing them exposed to the 
sun and air for only an hour or two. Do not 
allow them to stay out two or three days to dry 
up, then wonder why they are withered and fail 
to sprout. Pack in a cool, frost-proof place, where 
extremes in temperature may be avoided, a place 
having an average temperature of about 45 degrees. 
Do not cover, or pack in any material or with any 
substance; cork, sawdust, shavings, coal ashes, sand 
or earth, all hold and retain a dampness or moist¬ 
ure, something un-natural; are too close, compact 
and damn, causing them to start, to mildew, or to 
decay. Would you pack your potatoes in any of 
the above ? Simply pack clumps one-top-of-the- 
other, placing each clump upside down. Undoubt¬ 
edly you are aware that the Dahlia stalk is hollow, 
and that this hollow contains a watery substance 
or acid. If you pack your clumps with the stalk 
up, the acid will flow back into the crown of the 
clump, causing decay; whereas, if you turn your 
clumps up-side-down the acid must flow out, and 
clump will remain in a perfectly dormant con¬ 
dition. Pack clumps up-side-down, in boxes or 
barrels, packing one-top-of-the-other. Dahlias 
in an old-fashioned cellar will keep first-class, 
without any covering; in a cellar having a ce¬ 
ment bottom, or heat, the boxes or barrels should 
be lined with heavy paper, and covered with 
paper or burlap. Covering with paper or burlap 
excludes the air and preserves a more even tem¬ 
perature. In heated places the circulation of 
air, and heat, causes the bulbs to shrivel and dry 
up; a covering of this kind prevents the roots 
from shrivelling. 
DIVISION OF CLUMPS. Although I divide 
clumps all winter, it is because of the number of 
clumps I have to divide; I recommend that the 
amateur wait until spring before dividing. Dahlias 
keep during the winter much better in clump 
form. In the spring the clumps commence to 
send out sprouts, which aid in dividing properly. 
Divide, using a sharp knife. Separate, leaving 
each bulb separately, first dividing the clump in 
half, then divide to one bulb. Plant only one 
bulb in a hill; never plant more than two bulbs. 
In dividing, great care should be taken, and a 
portion of the crown or stalk should be left on 
each bulb; it is on the crown that the sprout 
starts, and if the bulb has no crown, the bulb is 
worthless. 
SIZE OF BULBS. The size of the bulb or tuber 
does not in any way designate the size or quality 
of the flower. Some varieties of Dahlias always 
produce very small bulbs, while other varieties 
make large ones. Do not consider small bulbs 
worthless, for they are equally as good, and in 
many cases better than large ones. Medium and 
small-sized bulbs more often produce the finest 
and highest colored flowers, and in many cases 
the best and most effective plants. The only 
requisite of a Dahlia bulb is, be sure that your 
bulb has one or two eyes or sprouts, whether large 
or small, and with proper cultivation success is 
generally assured. A clump, root, bulb or di¬ 
vision of a clump, pot-root, cutting, sprout, and 
even a Dahlia seed, will grow, and blossom, all 
equally well; it is not the size, but care and cul¬ 
tivation—cultivation is the principal requirement 
of the Dahlia. 
CONCLUSION. There are no set rules to fol¬ 
low invariably by all, or even by any one grower 
year after year. In fact, each soil, location, cli¬ 
mate or season, may call for different treatment. 
Study your plants, watch them as they develop, try 
all experiments along lines in harmony with na¬ 
ture’s laws. Success with Dahlias is the same 
as with anything else; do everything in modera¬ 
tion ; excess in any direction is unwise. In many 
locations, conditions are so favorable that Dahlias 
grow to perfection with practically no attention. 
So it is with seasons, some years Dahlias do well 
the entire season; but there is no reason why 
Dahlias should not be grown successfully year 
after year. My methods of cultivation are simple 
and easily followed; the treatment and require¬ 
ments so simple, there is no reason why you 
should not be successful with your Dahlias. 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. 
Terms of Sale 
Cash with orders. Remittances may be made by P. O. or Express Money Order, Bank Draft, or Regis¬ 
tered Letter at my risk. All orders will be shipped by Parcel Post, Express or Frieght, which ever way 
we deem advisable, prepaid to all parts of the United States and Canada; unless otherwise stated. 1 
guarantee their safe arrival in good condition. No extra charges for packing; one-half dozen at dozen 
rates. Always address, 
East Bridgewater, Mass. J. K. ALEXANDER, 
Long Distance Telephone Connection. The Eastern Dahlia King. 
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