210 THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



and it appears to be quite incapable of making those strong running 

 shoots that in many cases render bedding tropa^olums more plague 

 than profit. 



Lobelia erinus spectaMlis. — Those who wish for the best edging 

 lobelia in cultivation should obtain a few plants of this beautiful 

 variety, and keep the stock on from cuttings. It is far superior to 

 the best forms of speciosa, and is as good a grower as any. Messrs. 

 E. Gr. Henderson and Son first sent out spectabilis, but probably 

 many trade cultivators possess plenty of it by this time. 



Lobelia erimis Miss JMiirpliy. — This was sent out by Messrs. 

 Dobson and Son, of Isleworth. It is of very compact dwarf habit, 

 the flowers pure white. It makes an exquisitely beautiful edging. 



Foa trivialis argeniea. — This new grass is not nearly so effective 

 at the present time, at Stoke !N'ewington, as the well-known and 

 universalty-admired Dactylis glomerata, fol. var. It may yet prove 

 to be invaluable, but we cannot say that it is so now. It has been 

 planted out since the middle of April, and is growing freely. S. H. 



DAHLIA IMPEEIALIS. 



BY KA.EL PEOSPEE. 



AM somewhat surprised to find that this noble dahlia is 

 scarcely at all known to the English gardeners. The 

 fact proves to me that there is not much earnest 

 inquiry after plants of noble outline and proportion, and 

 that colour exercises a tyrannical influence upon the 

 tastes of my brethren of the horticultural profession. And what is 

 Dahlia Imperialis ? you ask. It is a tree-like species of dahlia, dis- 

 tinct in every way from the florists' flowers of this class. It rises 

 to the height of seven to nine feet, when planted out in June in a 

 good loamy soil, fully exposed to the sun, but sheltered from great 

 gales. The leaves are of great size, deeply pinnated, and a fine 

 plant presents, when viewed from a moderate distance, a very peculiar 

 and most noble appearance ; different, of course, from that of a 

 fern, yet partaking somewhat of that character. So far it is '' im- 

 perial," and will satisfy the lover of beauty. The next thing is to 

 see its flowers, which falls to the lot of but few^ in England ; but in 

 the south of Europe I have seen it quite sheeted with flowers of 

 most delicate white and rose, and these flowers are unlike the 

 dahlias of the gardens, they are rather more like magnolia flowers ; 

 at all events, they contract in the ray florets so as to have a sort of 

 bell-shape, and give to the plant an extraordinary character. 



In such a cold season as 1867, I think the first week in July 

 would be early enough to plant out Dahlia Imperialis. It grows 

 fast, and by the end of September wiU have attained to noble pro- 

 portions. What then ? Shall we leave it to the frost to cut it 

 down ? No, I propose that at the end of September, or some time 



