336 THE FLORIST. 



of his terrors, and investing his grim and skeleton form with a robe of 



celestial light. 



■X- * * * * ^ * 



The long and the short of it all is this : — my friend B. and I have 

 entered into a compact, in virtue of which we have determined to 

 *' bestow our tediousness " on the readers of the Florist. 1 have 

 persuaded him that he may relieve the dulness of winter — as he persists 

 in terming it — by putting to paper his impressions of some of the 

 results of floriculture during the past year, with such deductions as 

 may naturally result therefrom. He insists, however, that I lead the 

 way, and assigns for my subject the Dahha, of which he says (being 

 in a complimentary mood) 1 know a little, but none too much. I am 

 entirely ignorant what flower he will select to begin with ; nor is it 

 of much miportance, as there is scarcely one with which he is not well 

 acquainted. 1 fully anticipate — if I can keep him awake — a series of 

 extremely practical, if not very brilliant, articles, from the pen of my 

 hybernatmg triend. 



In fulhlment of my part of the contract, I purpose to take up the 

 subject from the point where I left it at the end of 1854, and to offer 

 a few observations on the condition and prospects of the Dahlia as 

 exemplified by the exhibitions of 1855. To this end I propose three 

 questions, which I will endeavour to answer categorically. 



1. Does the Dahha or does it not retain its popularity as a show 



flower ? 



2. Does it exhibit marks of improvement or otherwise ? 



3. Is there a reasonable prospect of its future progression ? 



1. There can be no doubt of the continued popularity of the Dahlia. 

 Of this no better proof can be adduced than the number of collections 

 staged for competition at the principal exhibitions, and the crowd of 

 spectators they invariably attract. In respect of popularity there has 

 always been a notable steadiness about the Dahlia. Unlike the Tulip 

 and some other flowers, it has never excited that amount of absolute 

 furor which is liable to degenerate into a species of monomania. Its 

 cultivators are, doubtless, enthusiastic enough, but their enthusiasm is 

 of a quiet character, and consequently, little subject to paroxysms of 

 intermission. They are generally constant to their first love, and the 

 individual who takes up the fancy — as it is termed — is apt to continue 

 it through a long series of years : the secessions from its ranks are there- 

 fore remarkably " few and far between." It is true that one of its 

 most redoubted champions has, throughout the past season, been missed 

 from his accustomed place. Be it so. Surely the veteran may be 

 permitted to repose upon his laurels ! But has the place been vacant ? 

 Not so. The ranks are crowded with recruits ; ay, and of the right sort, 

 too. Let the old sta(/e?'S look well to this. If they fail to keep pace 

 with the times, if they cease for one moment to " move on," there are 

 young ones treading closely on their heels, fully alert to take advantage 

 of the slightest falter, by tripping them up and leaving them fairly in 

 the lurch. It is no uncommon circumstance, now-a-days, to see collec- 

 tions not even " placed," which, only a few years ago, would have been 

 " safe to win." On the whole, then, I infer that — to say the least — 

 the Dahlia has lost nothing of its wonted populaiity. 



