Dahlias. 121 



6. In the march toward chrysanthemum-forms, the long, flat 

 and slender rays will be of most help to get the free, loose, and 

 fluffy types. Fimbriated forms, like Guidi?ig Star, are desirable 

 in themselves and may also aid in introducing irregularity. The 

 rays of the old show dahlias are too short and stiff. Ragged, 

 untidy and intermediate forms have possibilities. 



7. We need more prizes for new forms and less effort to in- 

 crease the range of color. Let the China-asters have the shades 

 of blue. That is their mission. In Ga?'de7iers' Chro7iicle, 1879, 

 John Keynes is quoted as saying: "The first good Dahlia I 

 ever raised was Ovid, the seedling root of which I sold to Mount- 

 joy for ^50. I think we have never seen a nearer approach to a 

 blue Dahlia." I have seen colored plates of varieties supposed 

 to be on the way to blue. They were mostly shades of purple. 

 I do not believe that an azure blue can ever be attained through 

 either purple or lavender. Beware of crimson-pink. 



8. We have as yet no forms like the tubular or Japanese 

 anemone-flowered chrysanthemums nor many of the forms of 

 China-asters illustrated in Bulletin 90. Apparently no attempt 

 has been made to lengthen out the disc-florets into long, slender 

 tubes . 



9. Prmcess Harry and others may have the possibilities of a 

 race similarly to the hairy chrysanthemums. The tendency 

 towards hairiness appeared in England and was patiently sup- 

 pressed before 1888 when the chrysanthemum craze was started 

 in America by the purchase of the hairy variety Mrs. Alpheus 

 Hardy for $1500. 



10. In addition to the five types of foliage already described 

 (p. 109), there is sometimes a peculiar glossiness on the leaves 

 which may perhaps be turned to account. 



11. Dahlias are sometimes slightly fragrant, and at least one 

 skillful plant-breeder is now at work along this line. Perhaps a 

 few curiosities of this sort may be obtained, but the lack of frp 

 grance is probably a natural limitation. Dahlias have gloric^ 

 enough without fragrance, 



12. The buds often open with difficulty and make lop-sided 

 flowers. Chrysanthemums sometimes have this difficulty and 

 the same misfortune has been known to occur in other com- 



