FEBRUARY. 43 



duce an abundance of fruit if trained on a south wall, and occupy a 

 place in the garden among other fruit-bearing trees. It fully merits a 

 trial, and 1 hope at some future time to return to the subject. 



Froginore. J. PoAVELL. 



A FEW MORE WORDS ON THE NEW DAHLIAS. 

 I CAN but feel highly gratified at the result of my criticjue of the 

 new Dahlias in a late number of the Florist, inasmuch, as it has been 

 the means of eliciting the sentiments of some of the most successful 

 growers and exhibitors, whose collective opinions are, undoubtedly, 

 entitled to the highest consideration. 



If it be a true saying, that " in the multitude of counsellors there is 

 safety," then may intending purchasers safely make their investments 

 upon ten or a dozen of tlie new sorts, on the authority of the interesting 

 table compiled and published in the last number. 



I am by no means surprised to find myself in a considerable 

 minority with respect to the best flower of the year ; and it is rather a 

 remarkable circumstance, that the gentleman whose opinion entirely 

 coincided with my own is the only one of the eight whom I have never 

 had the pleasure of meeting. It would be mere presumption on my 

 part to press my own individual notions in opposition to those of so 

 many more experienced and more successful cultivators ; still, I am 

 not yet convinced that my judgment is altogether erroneous. I there- 

 fore refer the matter to the arbitration of Time. 



Tliere are yet a few of the most persevering Dahlia amateurs who 

 have not favoured us with their views of the case. The names of Mr. 

 Holmes and Mr. Cook, in particular, occur to my mind. It may be 

 said that the former gentleman has abstained from expressing his 

 opinion because a seedling of his own is among the number of novelties. 

 If this be the case, I applaud his motives, while I can but regret that 

 a feeling of delicacy on his part should hqve deprived the floral com- 

 munity of the results of his extensive knowledge and undeniable judg- 

 ment. For the silence of the latter gentleman I am at a loss to account. 



It tends not a little to the value of the recommendations, that growers 

 for sale have (with a discrimination which does them infinite credit) 

 abstained altogether from giving expression to their convictions. I do 

 not mean to insinuate that dealers would be more prone than amateurs 

 to be biassed in their opinions ; but I think they have acted wisely in 

 pursuing the only course by which they could escape the possibility of 

 such an imputation. 



And now let me endeavour, as well as I can, to extricate myself from 

 a little scrape, in which my own imprudence has involved me. As the 

 pith of a lady's letter is generally to be found in the postscript, so have 

 I — in this instance — put forth the foregoing remarks as a kind of peg, 

 whereon to hang a few words which may serve both in the way of 

 explanation and apology. 



It will be remembered that I ventured, not long since, to become a 

 sort of sponsor for my eccentric friend B., that he would prepare for the 



