IF YOU'VE NEVER GROWN DAHLIA SEED BEFORE, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO TRY THEM 
the seeds in boxes or flats about 20 inches long, 12 inches wide and 4 inches 
deep. Make 3 or 4 trenches about 2 inches deep and plant the seed about every 
2 inches apart in these trenches and cover with about a half inch of soil. These 
seeds should be planted about 2 months before it is reasonably safe to transplant 
the young plants out into the open. 
The box should be kept in a warm room and near a window that faces a 
sunny location. About 2 or 3 weeks later, they will be breaking out of the ground 
and when they are about 2 or 3 inches high, they should be removed from the 
box and transplanted into 2 inch flower pots, until they are about 4 or 5 inches 
high, when they should be transplanted into 3 inch pots, and on warm, sunny 
days, should be left out into the open to gradually harden, and when you be¬ 
lieve that the time is right for their permanent transplanting as described above, 
then plant them as directed, and they will grow into strong, healthy plants, as 
good if not better than plants grown from tubers. 
THE DAHLIA—GOD'S GIFT TO MANKIND 
The very best varieties are no harder to raise than the cheaper ones, which 
take up the same amount of space in your garden. For the beginner we recom¬ 
mend the cheaper varieties, not that they are inferior in any way, but good to 
experiment with. To the Amateur and Professional we urge to grow the best 
of the new varieties. They will cost a little more, but they will give double 
the pleasure in growing them. 
If you are a lover of flowers, and have never grown dahlias, you are missing 
a lot of pleasure. It is such a joy to walk out into the garden in the early 
morning while the dew is still on the flowers; then is the time they look their 
best, as the blooms are then so fresh and vivid in color. It is so wonderful 
to see the new buds unfold and display their gorgeous beauty, especially the 
first buds on a new variety you have never seen in bloom. 
THE DAHLIAS OF TODAY 
The dahlias of today are a different flower than those of our grandfathers’ 
day; and those who only know the small varieties with the weak stems of those 
days, can hardly recognize the dahlia of today with their large graceful flowers 
in many forms and colors. In fact, we know of no flower growing today, 
which has as many different forms or as many different shades and colors. 
LOCATION FOR PLANTING 
Any open sunny place is the best location for the great majority of dahlias. 
Except in very few instances, they do not succeed in heavily shaded spots. Some 
of the more delicate varieties do better in partial shade, especially during the 
hotter portion of the day, while some of the finest exhibition flowers can be 
produced only in partial shade, which protects their delicate coloring from the 
fading action of the sun. If there is too much shading, the plants will grow 
tall and run too long stalks and foliage with very few flowers; in the sun they 
form stocky, well-developed plants. 
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