zontally, and cover. Cultivate at least once a 
week. Do not water until plants are well 
above the ground. When the buds appear, 
water the plants thoroughly once or twice a 
week. Apply any good fertilizer, stirring the 
soil lightly after. To obtain extra large flow¬ 
ers, disbud freely, leaving only a few buds and 
branches on each plant. If the plant grows 
too bushy, cut off some of the leaves and side 
branches and the plant will flower more freely. 
Green plants should be planted twice as deep 
as they were grown in pots, or 4 or 5 inches 
deep. They should be watered and shaded a 
few r days after planting. 
Cut Flowers 
When using the Dahlia for a cut flower, cut 
in the cool of the day, either late in the even¬ 
ing or early in the morning. Place stems in 
deep vessels filled with cold water. Set in 
cool cellar or ice box for 6 hours or more. 
They are then ready for use. 
Separating the Clump 
Cut stock close to bulbs, turn clump upside 
down and put strong knife or hatchet in the 
center; pound it until you make two halves. 
Avoid breaking neck of bulb. Then take hock 
or straight knife and cut off bulbs, being sure 
they have an eye, leaving on as much crown 
as possible. A pair of canvas gloves with the 
right thumb heavily taped will be a help. 
Keeping the Bulbs 
By L. N. Davis 
There are almost as many opinions as there 
are growers, on keeping the tubers over the 
winter. This is perfectly right, as every cel¬ 
lar is different, and this means a decidedly 
different method for storing and preserving 
one’s bulbs. 
First of all, I would suggest that everyone 
keep a thermometer in the cellar, for only in 
this way can you tell how hot or cold it is. 
Now the bulb itself must be taken into con¬ 
sideration. Is it large or small? Has it a 
tendency to decay easily, or maybe to dry or 
shrivel up to almost nothing? This is the 
time when the evil of over feeding for large 
flowers in the summer becomes apparent. If 
you take several clumps of good bulbs, all the 
same kind, put them in storage in the same 
box, in a short time the clump that has been 
forced or fed heavily will begin to decay, or, 
if small sized, will dry up, while those grown 
without any food will be found O. K. 
Next to be considered is the cellar where the 
