The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-19
MANY ACRES OF DAHLIAs.
prom the New York Sun. ]


a visit to the dahlia farm of H. T.
Burt of Taunton, Mass, must be rev.
citation to any save a commercial grower
of an enthusiastic, up-to-date fancier
of the flower. The dahlia has had its ups
and downs of popularity, but since that
general fever of enthusiasm when the
European gardeners had at last sue
ceeded in semidoubling and doubling
the newcomer from Mexico, garden low
ers, true flower devotees, have mostly
been cold, when they were not hostile
to the florists flower the big, top
heavy round-upon-round of petals fluted
and quilted with depressing uniformity
Even its velvet surface, its superb tint
ing, it's fantastic TreakiShneSS of color
combinations, even the pictorial help
fitness of the plant in the garden
scheme and even that strongest argu-
ments its long season of bloom, rising
to its grea test Splendor after the autumn
rains, failed to win it any warmth of ap-
probation. That came first from artfs-
tic, discerning flower lovers to the sin
gle dahlia, when modern taste and feel
ing began to insist upon their restora-
ton to their true place in the garden.
But that appreciation has persistently
remained .'caviare to the general" and
the dahlia, in any form, so infrequently
and scantily appears in the ordinary
garden that farm devoted to it's Gull
ture seems as if it must be the indul-
gence to the craze of a wholly uncom-
mercial specialist. But Mr.. Burt'S seven
acres of dahlfas mean business and as,
beginning with a single plant he has
gone on to the 1900 varieties that crowd
these acres and has been a dozen years
in the work, it is plain that dahlias have
a standingg and a future.
All kinds there has been, but the addi-
ton Of the cactus form to the single,
great double and pompOn ones familiar
to most people, but the variations upon
these four motives in color, texture, size,
shape, curve and fmbriation of petal.
in foliage, robustness and manner of
growth of the plant, seem endless to the
visitor treading these mazes of bloom.
Single flower loyalists will not in the
least be shaken in their allegiance by
the masses of double triumphs of the
florists art and patience in Mr.. Burts
fields for there are long rows of single
dahlias growing with a freedom and
decorative grace vouchsafed no other
variety.
AS for that latest addition to dahlia
varieties, the cactus, even the most pas
sionate devotees of the single form must
acknowledge the SURPRISING beauty of
the newcomer. tits to the old double forms
what the Japanese chrysanthemum was
to the few formal Chinese varieties that
were our earliest acquaintance con-
tribution of airy, irregular grace and
elegance. The petals are longer and
lighter looking and the color oftenest
yellow, but occasionally a reddish pur-
pie adds greatly to the effectiveness of
the flower.
According to Mr.. Burt the dahIia is of
that will produce an abundant crop of
potatoes-light, air, room. a thoroughly
pulverized soil filled with food-will pro-
duce an abundant crop of dahlias bloom
and tuberS, thought not all varieties are
of equal constitutional vigor Some Law
ish producers of the choicest flowers are
meager root makers. To secure a fairly
uniform size among his mailing stock
Mr.. Burt grades his varieties according
to their characteristics, giving those
most delicate the heaviest application
of fertilizer rich in potash. He uses both
barnyard and commercial fertilizers, the
dahlia fields are plowed and cross
plowed, the tubers are planted in rows
precisely like potatoes, and after the
young plants pierce the ground the Gull
tivator is kept going until their lusty
growth forbids. Happily, with the
dahlia- there are no insects to fight, but
the flower is very sensitive to frost.
Mr. Burt constantly increases his col
lection with the choicest of native and
foreign novelties, the best coming from
England, where, strangely, climatic con-
ditions seem to suit the native of Mexi-
CO. September is the month when the
dahlia is at it's best in this country,
but this year Mr.. Burt's fields were in
their fullest glory in October.