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PUBLISHED BY 
WAYLAND DAHLIA GARDENS 
E. R. RYNO, Prop. 
WAYLAND, MICHIGAN 

SEASON OF 1947 

We did not issue our Bulletin and 
Price List last year because of the 
fact that practically our entire crop 
was booked up long before digging 
time and we had nothing left to sell 
after that time. This year bookings 
are already heavier than they were 
last year, and while it is likely that 
most of our crop will again be booked 
before we begin shipping, yet we felt 
that we should issue our Bulletin this 
year not only for the sake of keeping 
our price records up to date but also 
that we might keep in touch with our 
many pre-war customers whom we 
still have hopes of being able to serve 
just as soon as labor and crop con- 
ditions become normal. 
It will be noted that we have made 
very few changes in our prices since 
1945 except those varieties which were 
listed in the very low price groups. 
We know our present prices are still 
way below those of most growers, and 
this is probably one of the reasons 
why our orders have been unusually 
heavy. As soon as other growers get 
stocked up again and are able to get 
back to earth on their prices we nat- 
urally expect the demand, especially 
from jobbers and large growers to 
fall off, which will leave a greater 
supply available for later orders. 
We are putting this issue out about 
a month earlier than usual and urge 
you to get your order in at once so 
we can get your booking on such 
varieties as are still available. 
The three leading types of dahlias 
are the Pompon or Button type, which 
includes those dahlias up to two inches 
in diameter; the Miniatures which 
range from two to three inches in 
diameter; and the Large Flowering 
Varieties which range from ‘three 
inches up to fifteen inches in diameter, 
most varieties in this class averaging 
five to ten inches under ordinary 
garden culture. 
Here are a few of the adjectives 
found in the dahlia descriptions in 
different catalogs: 
As to size. Colossal, enormous, 
giant, gigantic, huge, large, mam- 
moth, massive. 
As to general appearance. Beauti- 
ful, extraordinary, fascinating, glo- 
rious, gorgeous, incomparable, lovely, 
magnificent, splendid, wonderful, etc. 
And the funny thing is that these 
are not exaggerating terms when ap- 
plied to almost any one of the newer 
varieties of dahlias. ‘ 
THE DAHLIA SITUATION 
(Continued from page 1) 
termine their condition. Scrape the 
skin on the side of the bulb with ° 
thumb nail and if the flesh of the bulb 
shows any discoloration it is very 
likely that the bulbs have been frosted 
and will rot. Notify your express 
agent at once and see that claim for 
damage is entered with the carrier 
without delay and if the damage is 
real as well as apparent it will show 
up more fully within a few days so 
you will not be sending out stock 
which is certain to be returned with 
a complaint from your own customer. 
The second item I wish to mention 
is regarding the cutting or dividing 
of dahha clumps. Field grown clumps 
usually have about 3 to 5 eyes but 
many of these same clumps have 
twice as many bulbs. Where the 
clumps are cut to the root, that is, 
with an idea of saving every root or 
bulb there are bound to be a lot of 
duds or blind roots. If clumps are 
cut to the eye, as is done by expe- 
rienced growers, oftentimes they are 
cut so each eye has a double root or 
two roots to a single eye. This makes 
double expense of postage and ship- 
ping and in many cases customers 
will. cut off the extra root and re- 
turn it as no good asking for a re- 
placement. For this reason we do 
not send out such double roots our- 
selves and we would suggest that you 
follow the same practice with your 
customers. 
I trust this report will be of some 
value to our members and sincerely 
believe that those who follow our sug- 
gestions will not go wrong. 
I thank you, gentlemen. 

The American Association of Nurserymen has not yet adopted a standard 
for grading of dahlia roots. 
Regardless of any standard there are three im- 
portant requirements which must be met by any stock offered or such stock is 
worthless. These are: 
1. SURE TO GROW 
If a root does not have a good eye and a sound neck it cannot be expected 
to produce a plant no matter who grew the root or how much it cost. 
2. FREE FROM DISEASE 
Fortunately dahlias have very few transmittable diseases, the most com- 
mon of which are mosaic and stunt. 
Experience has shown that both of these 
diseases are easily eradicated by digging and destroying affected plants in the 
field. 
Where careful rogueing is not practiced each year these diseases soon 
become so generally distributed throughout the fields that the entire planting 
becomes almost worthless. 
3. TRUE TO NAME 
With so many different varieties of dahlias being grown, many of which 
are very similar, it becomes a matter of considerable importance to know that 
your stock is absolutely true to label. Many disappointments and even failures 
have resulted from planting stock which was not true. Certainly no one would 
feel like paying the regular price for a named variety only to find that he had 
purchased what should have been sold as mixed stock even though such mixed 
stock was made up of good varieties. 
When a grading standard is adopted, which will eventually be, we believe 
such a standard should embody the following provisions: 
1. DIVISIONS FOR PLANTING 
A dahlia division should have not more than one eye as from this develops 
the sprout from base of which springs the new clump of roots. If the division 
has more than one eye each eye will throw a sprout and each sprout its own 
clump of roots which means that roots will be too crowded to produce a per- 
fect plant. 
The size of the division is immaterial, as experience has shown that small 
to medium size roots will usually produce better plants and better clumps of 
roots than too large roots because plants from such roots are forced to depend 
upon their new root growth from an early date instead of depending on the 
mother root for their subsistence. 
2. POT ROOTS AND SPLIT CLUMPS 
These should have not less than two eyes. They are used chiefly for prop- 
agating purposes and should never be planted in the field until divided as above. 
3. WHOLE CLUMPS 
Not less than three or four eyes and used only for propagating purposes 
or division before planting. Such clumps if planted whole will never produce 
satisfactory plants. . : 
