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Varieties of Bulbs for Forcing: Beauty

Popular Introductions. The popularity of many new varieties is naturally short-lived and they are soon dropped from the lists and thrown into the discard. One of the most popular of recent introductions is the Jersey Beauty. Originated by Mr. William Waite, it was first exhibited in 1923 and swept the boards. Jersey Beauty seems to leave little to be desired in the way of a dahlia. Its beautiful blooms of clear pink with silken sheen are of perfect form and are borne on long, firm stems. It comes into flower early, is lavish with its bloom, and its unusually good keeping qualities make it very popular as a cut flower. At the Sesquicentennial Exhibition of the American Dahlia Society, held in the autumn of 1926, Jersey Beauty was awarded the medal as the outstanding dahlia in the show.

Other dahlias that have scored high at the various trial grounds and have received coveted awards at the shows are: Robert Treat, Elite Glory, Alice Whittier, Rose Fallon, and Elinor Vanderveer. Robert Treat won the sweepstakes prize at the New York Show in 1924 and is considered one of the finest dahlias of to-day. It is of decorative type and a true American Beauty Rose color. Elite Glory originated in 1923 and in 1924 it scored 92 points at one of the trial grounds, receiving a certificate of merit and a gold medal. Its color is a radiant red. Alice Whittier won the award for the best dahlia at the 1926 San Francisco Exhibition and was the winner of the President's Cup for the best seedling at the Boston Dahlia Exhibition in 1924. It is a Hybrid Cactus, pale yellow, the reverse side of the petals being almost white. Other varieties which are of excellent merit though perhaps less in the public eye at the moment-and consequently much lower in price-are: Wizard of Oz, a lovely amber-pink, shading to salmon; Princess Pat, salmon-rose with a tint of apricot; Amun Ra, well named for the sun god, coppery gold, shading to amber; King Harold, deep maroon with velvety texture; Papillon, one of the best of the Hybrid Cactus group, rose in color shading to amber; Kalif, a Hybrid Cactus that has stood the test of time, a clear pure crimson; and Break o'Day, a Cactus of clear sulphur-yellow coloring.

At the shows one may make sure of colorings, but it is in the nurseries or at the trial gardens that one should really study dahlias and become acquainted with the plants in their everyday working attire.

Requirements of Dahlia Growing. The rules of the game in dahlia growing are simple, and, if followed, reasonable success should be assured, although it cannot be denied that some sections of the country are particularly well adapted to the growing of dahlias while other sections are less favorable. A sandy loam with gravelly subsoil is considered the ideal type of soil. It is useless to attempt to grow dahlias of good quality in heavy clay soil that is poorly drained. If a light friable soil is not available, the texture of clay soil may be greatly improved by the addition of leaf mould, sand, compost, and perhaps a small dose of coal ashes. The leaf mould and compost add considerable fertility as well as improving the texture. The coal ashes, however, are of no value except to lighten the soil and facilitate drainage. The ground should be thoroughly and deeply prepared and liberal quantities of well-rotted manure and bone meal should be spaded in early in the spring, preparatory to later planting. Dahlias are notoriously hearty feeders and will respond well to liberal supplies of plant food.

Planting should not be done until all danger of frost is over and the ground is warm and mellow, as the tubers are apt to rot in cold, damp soil. The crown of the tuber should be placed five or six inches deep, being covered to a depth of two inches when first planted, and the balance of the soil should be worked in around the plant with subsequent cultivations. Dahlias require abundant moisture throughout their growing season.

Deep and frequent cultivation should be practised until the plants come into bud. The beds may then be mulched with leaves, lawn trimmings, peat moss, or any material which will help to retain the soil moisture. Where exhibition blooms of mammoth size are desired, only one or two strong shoots should be allowed to develop and disbudding should be carried on relentlessly throughout the season. Where more abundant bloom with flowers of smaller size is sought for garden or house decoration, more shoots may be allowed to develop.

Dahlia tubers should be dug, preparatory to storing for the winter, after the first killing frost has blackened the foliage. The stalks should be cut off a few inches above the surface of the ground; the tubers, after being carefully dug, should be turned upside down in order that the sap may drain out of the stalk, and should be allowed to lie in the sun for several hours. There are various methods of storing the tubers during the winter months. They should be kept in a dry, frost-proof place, a corner of the cellar far from the furnace usually proving satisfactory. Most growers pack their tubers in sand or soil in shallow boxes. Peat moss is a material which has recently been used for this purpose with excellent results.