223 CULTIVATION OF THE DAHLIA. 



by Professor Thunberg, in the Skrivler of Naturhistorie 

 jSetfskabet, 2 bind, did not come out till 1702; nor was the 

 manuscript even read before that society, till April, 1/91, 

 three months after Cavanilles' dahlia had been publish d. 

 I am aware, that there is no general rule without an excep- 

 tion, and that in some cases the right of priority must be 

 given up ; but in this not a shadow of reason for the inno- 

 vation can be offered, a *d as these plants are universally 

 ( known, both in our Island, and upon the Continent, by the 

 name of dahlia, much inconvenience will ensue for a time, 

 if the other be adopted: moreover, it would be unjust to 

 Cavanilles, who is dead and gone. 



1 roust now venture to give some account of the introducr 

 tion of the dahlias into our own island; when it will appear 

 how rapid iy we nave improved upon the French method of 

 treating them ; and as they have already not only produced 

 a number of varieties with us, but each species requires a 

 somewhat different management, I shall orrer such observa? 

 tions, as i hope will not be found quite useless respecting them. 



The first species, dahlia sambuci/blia, was introduced into 



1st species. this country by the Right Honourable Lady Holland, who 



Introduction t , , ,. -_ , . , . , . „ .... 



into Britain. sent tne seeds irorn Madrid in May, 1804, which nave pro- 

 duced several varieties of different colours. For this rear 



Specific nasie. gon ^ j naye rP j ectec j ^oth the specific names rosea and purpu- 

 rea, for one that is applicable to both of them. Pinnata, as 

 Monsieur Thouin observes, is equally inadmissible, because 

 many of its leaves only consist of three leaflets ; and a 

 greater number of the leaves of the 2d species being also 

 pinnated, it has already occasioned miich confusion. 

 Though the seeds arrived so late in this country, several of 

 them flowered the succeeding autumn at Holland House, 

 and the variety £ with deep purple flowers was immediately 

 pretty well figured in the Botanist's Repository. By the 

 constant attention of Mr. Buonaiuti, in pressing out the 

 moisture, which is collected among the florets after the calyx 

 closes, a number of seeds were ripened in 1805, and some 

 of these were liberally communicated to me late in the 

 month of April, 1806. 



I hjid no opportunity of sowing them till the 5th of May, 



Culture. when they were put iutp two pots of light rich earth, 



plunged 



