Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-02-07
SEVEN ACRES OF DALLAS.
Twelve Hundred Varieties of the Flow
err Crowd This Farm,


A visit to the dahlia farm of H. T.
Burt of Taunton, Mass, must be rev.
citation to any save a commercial
grower or an enthusiastic, up-todate
fancier of the flower. The dahlia
has had its ups and downs of popu-
larity, but since that general fever of
enthusiasm when the European gard
eners had at last succeeded in semi
doubling and doubling the newcomer
from Mexico, garden lovers, true flow
er devotees, have mostly been cold,
when they were not hostile, to the
florists flower" the big. top-heavy,
round-upon-round of petals fiuted and
quilted with depressing uniformity.
Even its velvet surface, it's superb tint
ing, its fantastic freakishness of color
combinations, even the pictorial help
fulness of the plant in the garden
scheme, and even that strongest argu-
ment, its long season of bloom, ris-
ing to it's greatest splendor after the
autumn rains, failed to win it any
warmth of appreciation. That came
first from artistic, discerning flower
lovers to the single dahlia, when mod.
ern taste and feeling began to insist
upon their restoration to their true
place in the garden. But that appre-
citation has persistently remained
'caviaer to the general" and the
dahlia. in any form, so infrequently
and scantily appears in the ordinary
garden that farm devoted to it's cul-
ture seems as if it must be the in
diligence of the craze of wholly I'M
commercial specialist But Mr.. Burt's
seven acres of dahlias mean business.
and as, beginning with single plant.
he has gone on to the 1900 varieties
that crowd these acres and has been
dozen years in the work, it is plain
that dahlias have a standing and
future.
OF kinds there has been but the adj
dition Of the cactus form to the single,
great double and pompon ones famil.
lar to most people, but the variations
upon these four motives in color, tex.
ture, size, shape, curve and fimbriation
of petal, in foliage, robustness and
manner of growth of the plant, seem
endless to the visitor treading these
maZes of bloom. Single flower 10y.
alists 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 grow.
ing with a freedom and decorative
grace vouchsafed no other variety.
AS for that latest addition to dahlia
varieties, the cactus, even the most
passionate devotees of the single form
must acknowledge the surprising
beauty of the newcomer. II is to the
old double forms what the Japanese
chrysanthemum was to the few formal
Chinese varieties that were our ear
| Hest acquaintances-a contribution of
airy, irregular grace and elegance.
The petals are longer and lighter
looking, and the color oftenest vel
low. but occasionally a reddish purple
adds greatly to the effectiveness of the
| flower.
According to Mr.. Burt the dahlia is
of the easiest culture. The same treat.
ment that will produce an ABUNDANT
crop OF potatoes-light, air, room, a
thoroughly pulverized soil filed with
food-will produce an abundant crop
Of dahlias, bloom and tubers. though
not all varieties are of equal consti.
tutional vigor. Some lavish producers
Of the choicest flowers are meager
root makers. To secure a fairly un.
form 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.