Cultural Hints 
Although dahlias may be grown in almost any ordinary garden soil, to produce a 
beautiful effect in massed color, with but little attention, they respond very readily to 
a little extra care. 
Fine dahlias are the result of a number of factors, most Important of which are: 
(I) good vigorous disease-free stock; (2) choice of varieties which naturally produce 
high quality blooms; (3) location of the garden; (4) proper planting; (5) cultivation; 
(6) intelligent fertilization and spraying; (7) pruning and dis-budding; and (8) the 
successful winter storage of the clumps. 
Factors (i ) and (2) need no comment other than the varieties which we offer in this 
catalogue are the result of several years of careful selection from the finest novelties 
placed on the market from all parts of the world. Each year we try many new sorts, then 
discard those which have no definite place in the better class gardens, and offer only the 
best to our customers. Our fields are carefully and frequently inspected. All inferior 
plants and those showing any symptoms of disease are destroyed. Our cultural methods 
are productive of the very finest quality roots and plants obtainable. 
Selection of the location for the garden is usually quite restricted, but fortunately 
dahlias will do well in any type of soil and in a wide variety of climate. A good site is 
one that receives several hours of sunlight each day and has good drainage, so that water 
does not stand on the ground very long after rains. More important than the type of soil 
or the location of the garden is the condition of the soil at planting time, and during the 
growing season. We believe that more failures with dahlias are due to the lack of proper 
conditioning of the soil than to any other single factor. This is especially regrettable 
since it is a factor which may be easily controlled. 
The soil of the garden should be kept loose while the plants are growing, especially 
in the early part of the season. Light, sandy soils need the least preparation, providing 
they contain enough humus to hold a sufficient amount of moisture. Humus may be sup¬ 
plied by, planting a cover crop of rye in the fall to spade under in the spring, peat moss 
mixed into the soil, barnyard manures, and by vegetative refuse such as lawn grass 
clippings, leaves, etc. 
Heavy clay soils may be made lighter by the generous use of furance ashes or 
cinders mixed with the soil of the garden, or just in the hills. Lime also tends to loosen 
the soil but should not be used oftener than every four or five years and never in con- 
nedion with barnyard manures. A cover crop of rye also aids in the loosening or light 
ening of the soil. Stirring the soil frequently to a depth of five or six inches helps to 
maintain the soil in proper condition. It must be remembered that the tender roots of 
the dahlia will not reach out as readily in search of food, in hard ground, as they will in 
looser soil. The dahlia is a very heavy "feeder" and needs a large efficient root system. 
Also, air and water penetrate more easily into loose soil to aid in the chemical trans¬ 
formation of soil elements into plant food. 
Spade the garden two or three weeks before planting time. Leave the surface rough 
until actual setting of the roots or plants. Never try to "fit" the soil when it is so wet 
that it sticks to the tools. Planting should not be started until the soil has started to warm 
up in the spring, which in the latitude of northern Ohio Is about May 15th to May 20th. 
Planting may be continued until June 15th or later. 
We suggest planting in furrows or trenches about five inches deep running the 
length of the row. Place the root flat In the bottom of the trench and cover with two or 
three Inches of soil. Fill in the rest of the trench as the plant grows. Rows should be at 
least three, or preferably, four feet apart. Plants in the row should be thirty-six inches 
apart when planting large ;>orts. (Small type dahlias sixteen to twenty-four inches apart.) 
Stakes to support the plants later may be driven at planting time five or six inches from 
the eye or sprout. Further instructions for the care and planting of "GREEN PLANTS" 
are enclosed v/ith each shipment of our plants. 
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