Z A N T ’ S 
BLUE 
RIBBON 
DAHLIAS 
much prefer garden performance to Show Room because 
that near 100% bloom might have been the only good 
bloom of that variety. It might have been forced to 
produce a few extraordinary sized blooms by high power 
fertilizers. We do not want any of that type of stock. 
Of the 1938 Introductions our favorites were Sleepy Hol¬ 
low and Pink Elegance in the Pink. In white it was a toss 
up between Michigan White and Mrs. Wm. S. Knudsen; 
Miss Oakland is a wonderful white but it does burn on 
the back of the petals. Freda George and Darcy Sains- 
bury, both Australian varieties and both creamy white 
are outstanding. Sunray's and Carl G. Dahl, both apricot 
shades, were talked about as super dahlias wherever two 
growers oV fans got together. Mad River Chief, a 1937 
Variety, a Giant Velvety Carmine with 3 ft. stems stood 
out in our garden. Visitors could not miss it. It's just 
one of those, "I must have that kind." Mr. Slocum's 
Burch Foraker, the highest scoring Dahlia at East Lansing 
Trial Gardens, a bright Fire Red, was what I call a Real 
Dahlia. Like most men I like red and, brother, this one 
is sure red. I expected Mr. Slocum to price it much 
higher than $10.00 per root and it's worth more. We've 
paid $15.00 and $20.00 for a number of Honor Roll 
varieties in the last four or five years that can't touch 
this sensational Red for Garden or Exhibition; and his 
Miss Ionia is certainly a dream as a cut flower. No doubt 
about it, the smaller dahlias are coming strong. Many 
visitors who do not have room for the large varieties are 
buying miniatures and Poms, and we have put in a lot 
more ourselves. You can't beat them for table decora¬ 
tions and they stand up and last like Zinnias, so why 
bother with Zinnias. We do not believe in using fertilizer 
when planting unless it's bone meal which can do no 
harm. We wait until the buds show and then give them 
three applications of a balanced or a good potato fer¬ 
tilizer, a handful to each bush ten days apart. Spread 
it in about an 18-inch circle to make the roots go out 
after it, then you won't have curled up roots when "dig¬ 
ging clump. With each order we send complete instruc¬ 
tions which when followed will assure you a Dahlia Garden 
to be proud of. 
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