PLANTING OF ROOTS—Dig a hole 6 inches deep and in the bot- 
tom of the hole throw a good handful of bonemeal. Mix it with 
the soil and then plaster the side of the hole with it, for dahlias 
are surface feeders and whatever is placed deep in the ground is 
wasted. Drive a stake in the bottom of the hole and place your 
root with eye up about 2 inches from the stake and cover the root. 
Label the stake. 
PLANTING OF GREEN PLANTS—When you receive your plant, 
look to see that the ball is moist, and place it in the lath house or 
half shade for 2 or 3 days. In late afternoon, remove paper pot 
and place in hole, prepared as in above paragraph, so that the top 
of the ball is 2 inches below the surface of the ground; fill hole. 
If you use a heavy mulch, plant ball with the top of the ball even 
with the surface of the ground. Label the stake. 
CULTIVATION—Keep surface of ground well cultivated to a depth 
of about 3 inches. As roots breathe and push their way through 
the soil, it should be kept loose. About the middle of August, dis- 
continue cultivation for about this time the feeder roots have com? 
to the surface and they should not be disturbed. 
WATERING—We use the sprinkler system here at Boulder Hill 
but any way you wish to water, is fine. Soak down at least 6 inches. 
Cultivate. Do not let the plants go dry, for, due to the large leaves, 
there is much transpiration end the plant will have to draw from 
the stored food and water in the roots. 
DISBUDDING—When the plant is a foot high, count up from the 
ground, 3 sets of leaves. Slightly above this third set, steel your- 
self and pinch out the beautiful top of the plant. Do this when the 
plant is very young and not when a great number of leaves have 
developed because of the unbalance of the leaf area and root area. 
From each set of leaves you will find, after a few days, two new 
vigorous side shoots; in all, six shoots. Let these shoots grow. 
When flower buds appear, and you can get your finger in, break 
off all side buds so that there is only one bud to each of the six 
main shoots. Just below the buds, break out all new side shoots, 
all the way down the six main stalks, until you come to the bottom 
two shoots. Leave these, they will form your next set of blooms. 
First you will have six blooms, cut these just above the two re- 
maining side shoots so six weeks later you will have twelve blooms, 
and the next set having twenty-four, etc. Disbudding is very im- 
portant if you wish a low, stocky plant and very large blooms. 
FEEDING—Dahlias are heavy feeders and it is necessary to feed 
them regularly — about every two weeks. A potato fertilizer such 
as 2-10-10 (2 per cent nitrogen, 10 per cent phosphorus, 10 per cent 
potash) is the best, but if this is not available, ask your dealer for 
a fertilizer that is low in nitrogen content and high in phosphorus 
and potash. Use about one handful per plant at the drip line. 
Scratch into the soil and water. 
sas, GS a 
