Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women - Wise Acres Yearbook (Ambler, PA)

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“Dahlias are among the hardest flowers to grow unless you understand them,” so began Mr. Maurice Fuld, of New York City, in his lecture on dahlias given to the students and friends of the school. We would indeed have been discouraged at the outset had he not immediately given us the assurance that with the proper attention to the natural requirements of the plants, as beautiful blooms as even the most ardent dahlia enthusiast could desire, can be obtained by the amateur. In March, if you would be a successful grower, carefully examine and sort out any clumps that have died out or have rotted in storage and discard them. Those that are successfully carried through to the first of April, spread out on the floor, water down and cover at the crown with sphagnum moss. About two weeks later a little growth appears in the neck of the root and the clumps are ready to be divided. In dividing, always leave a connection between the tuber and the stem. It is of interest to note that the old tuber has only to do with the stem and leaves, while a new set of roots is responsible for the flower growth; and that often the finest plants are grown from the smallest tubers. After the roots are divided, pack them in sawdust and allow them to remain there until about May ist, when they can be planted out in the garden in as sunny a location as possible. The secret of growing the dahlia is to “keep it growing” from the moment its roots are planted until the blossoms come out. The needs of the plant are air at the roots at all times and moist, cool weather. There must be moisture on the leaves as well as on the roots. That is one of the reasons why dahlias grown along the sea-coast are so superb. A light, open soil is best—pure gravel is even highly satisfactory. If the soil where you want to grow your dahlias should be heavy add sand or coarse ashes to it. A poor soil, strange to say, is really to be preferred, for if the land is rich there is heavy top growth at the expense of flowers. In setting out the tubers allow three feet between each plant and four feet between the rows, stake and label each plant. With the coming of July, it is best to cut the plant off down to the ground and thus give it a chance to start a new growth. In the three weeks which elapse before the plant is again above ground, the attack of the white fly which occurs about July 15, is avoided. And, furthermore, the plant now makes its ideal growth, for the dahlia develops best in those months that have cool nights, and in this climate they are August and September. The plants need frequent cultivation, but only that of the surface soil and for a distance of about twelve inches around each plant. Liquid fertilizer should now be fed to the plant about once a week, for the time has arrived to look for the flowers. Apply sulphate or muriate of potash, one pound to fifty gallons of water. To get the larger blooms, disbudding is practiced. The buds usually form in clusters of three and by removing two of these all the -strength of the plant is sent into the remaining bud. Certain dahlias grow too tall and in such cases it is best to nip 14

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£ntudl beginning On a narrow shelf in the cosy office stood all that our school boasted in the way of a library in those days when a ten-months’ session was yet unknown, and classes of twenty girls, a hope unrealized. The books and periodicals of divers sizes, editions, values and ages were collected by teachers and friends of the school, who in zealous endeavor to increase the scope of the “library’s” utility, bought and borrowed or otherwise obtained possession of everything that could possibly have been classified under the awe-inspiring name of “Horticulture.” Oddly enough the number of volumes increased with each edition, and ere long the treasured library’s aspiration grew too great to be kept on a mere shelf, and so the collection augmented, aided and abetted by donations from our many friends was .satisfactorily established in spacious quarters in the quondam classroom. Such was the humble origin of our collection of nearly two hundred and twenty-five volumes. A horticultural library “The American Apple Orchard ’ Waugh. “The American Peach Orchard,” Waugh. “Plums and Plum Culture.” Waugh. “The American Fruit Culturist,” Thomas (latest edition). “Bush Fruits.” Card. American Horticulture Manual, Budd and Hansen (2 vol.) “Cranberry Culture.” White. “Evolution of Our Native Fruits,” Bailey. “Foundations of American Grape Culture,” Munson. “Quince Culture.” Mccch. “Strawberry Growing,” Wilkinson. “Bean Culture,” Sevey. “Peas and Pea Culture,” Sevey. “The Potato.” Frazer. “Asparagus,” Hexamer. “Book of Vegetables and Garden Herbs,” French. “Celery Culture.” Beattie. “Melon Culture,” Troop. “The New Onion Culture, Greiner. should be designed to meet the needs of the students upon any or all branches of the subject which fancy or study might lead her to investigate. While this ideal has been constantly kept in mind, it has not as yet been attained, for the departments of Landscape Gardening, Poultry, Canning, Preserving and Pickling have not a book to represent them on the shelves. Additional books on all the other branches are likewise much needed, for satisfactory reference work. In a library of such a nature as ours, the books most valuable are those of recent date from the pens of experts and authorities on their particular subjects. We print below a partial list of such books needed and trust that some of our friends will be interested in adding to our collection. Magazines and books of fiction are also welcome, for they are most entertaining and relaxing when we reach that point of entire “prostration from all desire to work.” “The New Rhubard Culture,” Morse and Fiske. “Squashes,” Gregory. Sweet Potatoes,” Fitz. “Tomato Culture,” Tracy. “Soils and Fertilizers,” Snyder. “Farmers for Forty Centuries,” King. Farmer’s Manual of Law,” Willis. “How to Choose a Farm.” Hunt. “Diseases of Cultivated Plants and Trees,” Massee. “Charles Eliot-Landscape Architect.” Eliot. “The Art of Landscape Gardening,” Repton (Nolen Edition). Landscape Gardening, Kemp. Plant Breeding,” Bailey. “Fundamentals of Plant Breeding,” Coulter. “Preserving and Pickling,” Lemcke. “Canning, Preserving and Pickling,” Neal. “Principles and Practice of Poultry Culture,” Robinson. Poultry Textbooks, F. C. Doolittle. Michcll’sSimplex System of Poultry Keeping. 13

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out the centre when the plant is about fifteen inches high and it will then branch out and form a compact plant. In cutting the blossoms—evening is the best time—cut as much stalk back as possible and plunge the stems in boiling water for a few minutes and then in cool water. In the fall do nothing with the dahlia plant until after a black frost, then cut it down to within one foot of the ground and allow the sap to return to the roots. Usually after a frost we have some pleasant weather and the tubers may be allowed to cure. Never take them up when they arc filled with moisture. If the root remains in the ground after it has been cut back, it will harden. In faking up the tubers, choose a bright, sunny day and go to the plants early in the morning and lift them up with as much soil as possible; turn them upside down on a board and let them remain until three or four o’clock in the afternoon, then store them temporarily where the air can circulate and dry them naturally. They should not be put away permanently for the winter until they are thorough- ly dry and the soil has fallen off. Then store them where there is no heat but a temperature of about 40 degrees, varying as little as possible. It is best to inspect the tubers at least twice a month during the winter. If any decay is found, cut out at once and sprinkle with lime, and if some of the roots are shrinking separate them from the others and sprinkle with water once a week. Most tubers are lost after February 1st, therefore give more particular care to them during February and March. The following are the principal insects that attack the dahlia: the cut worm—treat the ground with vermine—this is a liquid gas and, to be effective in killing all insects and eggs, it must be applied after the soil has been thoroughly soaked with water; the white fly—treat with aphine: the chinch bug—it appears on the flower bud and cuts a hole in it, causing the flower to develop on one side only—spray with Paris green early in the evening and repeat on every young bud that appears. Ida L. Mills. 15