Catalog of Beverley Dahlia Farm 1951

We cannot think of any flower which fulfills so many of the desirable qualities sought after and actually found in the Dahlia. 

A few of these qualities are: Its willingness to grow under varying conditions of soil and climate. Very few, if any, plants exceed it in the length of the blooming season. None produces as many blooms on a single plant, in as many different forms, or as great a variety of color or combination of colors in one flower. 

AND SIZE: Ranging from the one-inch Pompon to the giant Exhibition Dahlias of 15 inches or more. And did you know that individual new varieties may be grown from seed, and flower profusely in one season.

In shipping you nothing but the choicest and healthiest of Dahlias and bulbs we hope to achieve mutual success as flower growers. We welcome visitors at all times to our gardens.

Our Nurseries are located in the heart of the productive Kent Valley. Going south from Seattle follow the West Valley Highway, also known as Old Tacoma Highway, through Renton Junction and Orilla to O’Brien Corner, turn west three quarters of a mile, then south one mile, on the east side of Green River.

PLEASE ORDER EARLY—Be sure to state in your order the approximate date you wish shipment to be made. We do not advise shipment of Dahlia tubers east of the Pacific slope before proper planting time in your area because of the possibility of damage from freezing in transit. However, should you desire shipment prior to April 1 we will pack as frost proof as possible and ship Express at purchaser’s risk and expense.

SUBSTITUTIONS—May we suggest that you allow us to substitute varieties of the same general color and of greater value in the event that shortages exist in some varieties. Please indicate YES or NO in your order.

TERMS—Due to increased transportation costs we would rather not accept orders for prepaid postage for less than $3.00. Less than this amount please add 10% to your remittance. Terms: Cash is required with order. Please, no C.O.D. orders accepted. They are most costly for both of us. Please remit by check, money order, or cash by registered mail only. Washington residents—be sure to include sales tax with your remittance.

DISCOUNTS—Due to the high cost of transportation and possibility of going even higher, we have discontinued giving discounts, allowing us to maintain our reasonable prices on stock and lowering them on a number of varieties, and still prepay shipments at retail.

GUARANTEE—AII stock shipped by us is guaranteed to be true to name, healthy and in good growing condition upon arrival at destination. Stock not meeting these conditions will be replaced if returned to us within three weeks after arrival. Since we cannot control conditions under which the tubers, once sold, are planted and grown, our responsibility is limited to replacement or refunding of purchase price of merchandise returned.

Dahlia tubers only are listed for sale in this catalog. This underground reproductive growth of the Dahlia is quite often referred to by the public as bulbs, or tubers; however, they are actually roots, the term used almost universally in the trade. Any reference made to salable Dahlia stock in this catalog means a division of the root system of the Dahlia plant.

LOCATION—Our Nurseries are located in the heart of the productive Kent Valley. Going south from Seattle, follow the West Valley Highway, also known as Old Tacoma Highway, through Renton Junction and Orilla to O’Brien Corner, turn west three-quarters of a mile then south one mile, on the east side of Green River.

IMPORTANT—We are very sincere in desiring that you get the very best results from growing our Dahlia stock, which is thoroughly inspected and each tuber guaranteed to have at least one live eye when leaving our hands. 

In order to establish friendly relations and hold your confidence we would like to make the following suggestions on how to handle your order when it is received: Open the parcel as soon as received to check for any damage or deterioration in transit. For best results tubers should be planted immediately, if practical, considering weather conditions, etc. 

If impossible to plant when received better leave them in storage medium in which they were shipped and be careful not to put them in too hot or dry a place where they are likely to shrivel and dry up—or the other extreme, too cold and damp, the possibility of freezing or absorbing a fungus condition which leads to rot. 

We do not advise soaking tubers in water or too wet a medium of any kind to force the eye into sprouting; this only leads to trouble. 

Finally, check your soil for wire worms and cut worms; a wire worm can eat the eye right out of the tuber, eliminating any possibility of producing a plant. Consult your garden insecticide dealer for one of the new products and use as directed for a control of wire worms and other pests living in the soil. 

For the healthy growth and the lovely blooms your Dahlias may be expected to produce, just a few simple requirements are demanded. These are easy to understand and follow when we consider the manner in which the Dahlia plant grows.

As soon as the feeder roots, very fine at first, reach the point where they start to supply enough plant food to enable the newly formed leaves above ground to begin to work, the original tuber has performed its purpose and may as well be disregarded. 

In proof of this, the tuber you plant may be cut in half or a still smaller portion be planted with a resultant vigorous dahlia, providing the conditions of soil and moisture, etc., are made right.

Thus the new dahlia plant needs nothing in the way of fertilizer or irrigation until the new feeder roots are established. And the more numerous and faster-growing these feeder roots, the stronger the plant and the better the crop of tubers for the next year. 

Any fertilizer should for this reason, not be placed in the hole in which the tuber is planted, but spread over the entire Dahlia plot, as the new roots will cover in most cases the entire space allotted to your Dahlias.

Some of these new roots will thicken and begin to store up starch and other food elements, forming the new crop of storage tubers. It is when these are growing and the buds on the plant are beginning to open that plenty of plant food and water are necessary. It is known that one bloom in its formation requires many times the water and food that is needed for the foliage and stalk growth.

It is clear anything which tends to interfere with the growth of these new feeder roots will stunt the growth of the plant, so an over-supply of water at the start, or the presence of rotting vegetation or manure, anything which will cause these roots to rot before they reach a healthy growth, is to be avoided. 

Plenty of room is needed for tuber and root system development. Space between dahlias should be enough for good ventilation to avoid mildew of the foliage.

With an understanding of these requirements, we can plan the best way to plant and care for the Dahlias. The soil should be loose and well drained. Spading deeply as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring is a necessary part of the preparation. 

On heavy clay soil some sort of humus should be worked in, and some sand or fine coal ashes. If new clay, a dressing of agricultural lime raked in the surface after spading will be of advantage. If the ground has been planted to a root crop the year before an application of bone meal and potash should be made, and this worked into the surface before planting. About five pounds of bone meal and one pound of muriate or sulphate of potash to every ten plants.

When the soil has warmed up nicely, and not until then, is the time to plant. Do not plant a Dahlia tuber in cold, wet ground, and expect anything but failure. Some varieties may pull through, but nothing is gained by planting too early. 

A stake should be driven close to the hole and the tuber laid therein with the eye or sprout facing up, and toward the stake. The tuber should be covered about two inches, then gradually fill in the hole as the plant grows. It may be tied to the stake with soft twine or rag to avoid cutting the stalk.

 As Pompons and Miniatures are somewhat valued in inverse ratio to their size, none of these should be disbudded, but the young plant may be pinched out to make more blooms.

There are a few insect pests which may infect your Dahlias, depending on your locality. 

Aphis or other sucking insects, or leaf hoppers or other chewing insects. There are a number of good sprays and dusts on the market, which may be used according to directions on the package. 

Your local feed store or hardware dealer will help you select whichever is indicated by your local conditions.

The ground around the Dahlia plants should be kept in a loose condition by frequent cultivation, deep at first and then shallower as the plant grows and the feeder roots spread out, and near the surface.

If your summer is very hot, a mulch between the Dahlias of grass clippings, or other material, will help keep the ground cool and avoid overheating the roots.

During extreme heat it is advisable to pick off the buds and not allow blossoms to form, thus saving any possible dangerous wilting of the plant.

When watering, after the buds have started to open, and not until then, it is better to give the ground a thorough soaking once a week or every ten days, than to sprinkle the surface every day. The moisture should reach down about a foot to be of the most value.

Dahlia blooms should be cut either early in the morning before the sun starts to dry them out, or late in the evening. 

The best method of cutting for long keeping blooms is to carry a bucket of cold water into the garden and plunge the stem of the Dahlia into it as soon as it is cut from the bush. 

A knife should be used instead of scissors, as the object is not to press the stem shut, but rather leave it so that it will absorb water readily for the bloom. 

The cut flowers should then be placed in the cold water container, in a cool dark place, and away from any drafts, for several hours, or if cut in the evening, left there overnight. 

After that they are ready for placing in your vase or other containers for display, and will keep much longer than if any other method of preparation is used. 

Too much foliage left on the stem will greatly lessen the keeping quality of the bloom.

After the first killing frost the Dahlia tuber clumps should be dug and stored for the winter. 

In sections where there is no frost, or where it comes very late in the year, the plants may be cut down any time.

After allowing a few days for the sap to go down into the roots, the tuber clumps may be dug and cared for the same as if they had been killed by frost. 

It is best to dig the dirt away from the clump and cut down with the spade all around it rather deep before lifting it out. This will cut the feeder roots which may extend out as far as two feet from the stalk, and which might break some of the tubers from the stalk if not cut. 

Any tubers which are broken at the neck will probably not be any good the following spring.

The tuber clump may be allowed to stand for a while to dry out the dirt, which may then be shaken off gently. Or a gentle stream of water may be used to wash the clumps. 

The stalks should then be cut off close to the clump, and it is then ready to be divided or stored.

A cool, not too dry, cellar is the best place for tuber storage, being sure it is frost proof. It does not need much below freezing to ruin Dahlia tubers. 

Dry warm air will cause the tubers to dry out and shrivel up, so that most of them will not grow in the spring.

The name of the variety may be written on the root with an indelible pencil, moistening the surface so the writing will be permanent. This avoids the possibility of lost tags and mixed-up varieties.