44 THE FLORIST. 



RETROSPECTIVE GLANCE AT THE DAHLIA TRADE : 



WITH A BRIKL REVIEW OP VARIETIES OFFERED FOR SALE IN THE YEARS 184.5, 



1840', 1847, and 1848: to which is added a caution for 1849. 



BY AN ANNUAL PURCHASER. 



Loud and deep are the lamentations made by the trade that " times 

 are hard," " trade dull," " money tight," and so forth. Might not 

 these complaints be lessened by a little circumspection amongst the 

 Dahlia fancy ? (although the same remarks are equally applicable to 

 other florists' flowers). But looking back to the varieties offered so 

 late as 1845, I would ask, where is a large majority of them now ? 

 I care not to enumerate all sent out that year, as I write principally 

 from memory ; however, the following are some of the batch : — 



Albion, Marchioness of Ormond, Caledonia, Figaro, Gloria Mundi, Essex 

 Primrose, Beauty of Chelmsford, Athlete [alias Wrestler), His Reverence, Essex 

 Scarlet, Rosa Mundi, Queen of Gipsies, Lady Leicester, Mr. C. Kean, Mary 

 the Rose of Keydell, Vanguard, Beauty of Stowe, Mons. Rignon, Beeswing, 

 Antler, Alice Hawthorne, Empress of Whites (Heale), Dazzle, Empress of 

 Whites (Smith), Duke of York, Arethusa, Marc Antony, Lady Sale, Ithuriel, 

 Mary Ann, Duke of York (Harrison), Islington Rival, Cleopatra, Highgate 

 Surprise, &c. &c. 



I will repeat, where are they now ? Beeswing, Gloria Mundi, 

 Empress of Whites (Heale), and Cleopatra, are all, or nearly all, 

 remaining after three seasons; of these Beeswing is certainly the best. 



We had presented to our notice in 1846 — 



Sir E. Antrobus, Queen Mary, Cloth of Gold, Enterprise, Mazeppa, Empress 

 of Scarlets, Lady Featherstone, Cream of Jest, Up, Park Rival, Marchioness 

 Cornwallis, Rose Unique, Attraction, Scarlet Unique, Henry Burn, Magician, 

 Vanguard, Miss Prettyman, Camillus, Mrs. Caudle, Purity, Marquis of Bath, 

 Captain Warner, Queen of Perpetuals, Mrs. Anderson, Lady Stopford, Duke of 

 Cambridge, La Polka, Turtle Dove, Dr. Graham, Sarah, Pulchella, Bumham 

 Champion, Princess Radziwill, Pride of Surrey, Queen Mary, Miss Sarah, 

 Isabel, Blooming Girl, Paragon, Prometheus, Newington Rival (was Standard 

 of Perfection), Bohemian Girl, &c. &c. 



A goodly display of names, with " all their imperfections on their 

 heads," from which I should only select Marchioness Cornwallis, 

 Captain Warner, Mrs. Anderson, Princess Radziwill, and Miss Sarah. 



Perhaps a little leniency may be necessary in passing sentence 

 upon the varieties of 1847, — many of the doubtful sorts must yet 

 have another trial ; they were — 



Yellow Standard, Miss Vyse, Adelaide, Andromeda, Lady of the Lake, 

 Honourable Mrs. Herbert, Captivation, Berryer, Louis Philippe, Scarlet Gem, 

 Delicate, Goldfinder, Metropolitan, Ackbar, Robusta, Princess Helena, Van Am- 

 burgh, Queen of the Belgians, Matchless, Star, Mrs. Edwards, Queen of Sheba, 

 Felix, Lillywhite, Box, Mynn, Pearl, Rosetta, Rebecca, Duncan, Victorine, 

 Metropolitan Queen, Cassandra, Fulwood Scarlet, Adonis, Aurora, Emily, Eugene 

 Gueuoux, Lord St. Maur, Marguerita, Marquis of Worcester, &c. &c. 



From these I select, as likely to remain with us some seasons, 

 Yellow Standard, Scarlet Gem, Mynn, Berryer, Box, Miss Vyse, 

 Louis Philippe, Andromeda, Marquis of Worcester, and Captivation. 



1848 was quite as prolific of numbers as the years previously 



