for mass effects. A stake should be driven close to the hole and 
the root laid therein with the eye or sprout facing up, and to- 
ward the stake. The root should be covered about two inches, 
and the hole gradually filled in as the plant grows. It may be 
tied to the stake with soft twine or rag to avoid cutting the stalk. 
For a bushy plant with numerous blooms the plant may be 
pinched out after the 3rd set of leaves forms. This will force 
the buds at the base of the plant to develop and the plant will 
spread out. For large blooms, pinch out the buds on each branch 
down to the base buds leaving only one bud to a stalk. This 
allows long stems for cutting or exhibition, As Pompons and 
Miniatures are somewhat valued in inverse ratio to their size, 
none of these should be disbudded, but the young plant may be 
pinched out to make more blooms. 
There are a few insect pests which may infect your Dahlias, 
depending on your locality. Aphis or other sucking insects, or 
leaf hoppers or other chewing insects. There are a number of 
good sprays and dusts on the market, including the new DDT 
which may be used according to directions on the package. Your 
local feed store or hardware dealer will help you select which- 
ever is indicated by your local conditions. 
The ground around the Dahlia plants should be kept in a 
loose condition by frequent cultivation, deep at first and then 
shallower as the plant grows and the feed roots spread out, and 
near the surface. If your summer is very hot, a mulch between 
the Dahlias of grass clippings, or other material, will help keep 
the ground cool and avoid overheating the roots. During extreme 
heat it is advisable to pick off the buds and not allow blossoms 
to form, thus saving any possible dangerous wilting of the plant. 
When watering, after the buds have started to open, and not 
until then, it is better to give the ground a thorough soaking once 
a week or every ten days, than to sprinkle the surface every 
day. The moisture should reach down about a foot to be of the 
most value. 
Dahlia blooms should be cut’ either early in the morning be- 
fore the sun starts to dry them out, or late in the evening, The 
best method of cutting for long keeping blooms, is to carry a 
bucket of cold water into the garden and plunge the stem of 
the Dahlia into it as soon as it is cut from the bush. A knife 
should be used instead of scissors, as the object is to not press 
the stem shut, but rather leave it so that it will absorb water 
readily for the bloom. The cut flowers should then be placed 
in the cold water container, in a cool dark place, and away from 
any drafts, for several hours, or if cut in the evening, over night. 
After that they are ready for placing in your vases or other con- 
tainers for display, and will keep much longer than if any other 
method of preparation is used. Too much foliage left on the stem 
will greatly lessen the keeping quality of the bloom. 
After the first killing frost the Dahlia clumps should be dug 
and stored for the winter. If the sections where there is no frost, 
or where it comes very late in the year, the plants may be cut 
down any time and after allowing a few days for the sap to go 
down into the roots, the clumps may be dug and cared for the 
same as if they had been killed by frost. It is well to dig the 
dirt away from the clump and cut down with the spade all 
PPP PEEP PPP PP PP PPP PP PP PPP PPP PPP PPP PPP PEPE 
MILLER DAHLIA FARMS SEATTLE, 88 




