366 THE FLORIST. 



and, worse than whole armies of earwigs, the dreaded thrips. The 

 effect of the last-named pest was, as might naturally be expected, 

 especially detrimental to the London growers ; and to this cause I 

 attribute it, that, until after the welcome showers which fell about the 

 middle of September, they were not found to occupy their usual pro- 

 minent places at exhibitions. At Salisbury, at the Surrey Gardens, 

 and at Brighton, the chief prizes were taken into the country ; while 

 at Slough and Highbury the Metropolitans were again in their wonted 

 position, and earned the highest honours ; 



They won them all well, and may they wear them long. 



I think I have enumerated a tolerable list of casualties (to use a word 

 now become too famihar), which have befallen the "burden of my 

 song " this year. With all these drawbacks can it be said the 

 DahHa has been worse shown than usual? To "speak the whole 

 truth," perhaps we must answer generally. Yes. But whoever saw the 

 two noble collections from Norwich, which at Brighton completely dis- 

 tanced all competitors, will speak " nothing but the truth," in replying 

 to the query with a special and emphatic No. On the whole I think 

 we may safely infer that the past season has shown an advance in the 

 cultivation of the Dahlia. I doubt if two such collections of 24 blooms 

 as those I have alluded to, were ever before put together by amateurs. It 

 is worthy of remark, in the review we are now taking, that as a general 

 rule amateurs have exhibited better this year than nurserymen. This 

 is an individual opinion (vakat quantuiii), and can be expected to be 

 received with only partial assent. With respect to the disposition of 

 colours, I must in candour confess that little, if any, improvement is 

 visible. Let me once again request the earnest attention of exhibitors 

 to this important subject. 



It is a fact well known to florists that each variety of any given 

 flower has its own peculiar season ; and that while all are more or less 

 beautiful, there are certain circumstances — not always understood — 

 under which individual kinds shine forth with more than usual splendour, 

 or sink into comparative insignificance. The Dahlia is no exception. 

 It may therefore not be altogether a waste of time if we take a rapid 

 glance at the varieties which have been most seen at the exhibitions of 

 the present year, not forgetting a passing thought of those, " though 

 absent, not forgot," which have perhaps been missed from their accus- 

 tomed places. To accomphsh this the more readily, I propose — in the 

 first place — to allude to the sorts in the hands of the pubhc up to the 

 present year. These it will be convenient to separate into two classes : 

 1st, the varieties in cultivation prior to 1853 ; and 2ndly, those sent 

 out in the spring of that year. Of the Dahlias of 1854 I shall say a 

 word or two on a future occasion. 1st, " Like angels' visits, few and 

 far between," are the glimpses we have caught of Alice ; but when she 

 does condescend to appear her beauty is unsurpassed. Annie Salter 

 has somewhat emerged from the cloud which obscured her last year, 

 though she can scarcely be said to have realised the expectations raised 

 on her first " coming out." Barmaid has forsaken the bar (of public 

 opinion). True to her vocation, she is, possibly, searching among cob- 



