December 9, 1911 



HORTICULTURE 



807 



DEVELOPING AND IMPROVING 

 THE DAHLIA 



The following interesting letter from 

 Alex Marl,. 'li. tn lia - Iioea held back 

 in our office unl 11 Mi I tel i her should 

 have opportunity to further explain 

 his views on thf dahlia Question as 

 given in a previous issue of 110RT1- 

 i'1'i/i'i i;k. Mr. Betscher's latest 

 communication is now appended. As 

 both the gentlemen are influenced, as 

 we believe, solely by a desire to pro- 

 mote the common good we are pleased 

 to give space to their letters in lull 

 and our columns are open to any one 

 who may have pertinent views on the 

 question to which they would like to 

 gi\e publicity. 



Editor HORTICULTURE: 



Dear Sir — It was with considerable 

 interest that I read your editorial on 

 page 65S, issue of Nov. 11, on the 

 Dahlia, also the communication of 

 your correspondent, C. Betscher, on 

 page 663, and it is to the hitter's in- 

 sinuations that dealers are dishonest 

 that I wish to take exception, for as a 

 rule, it will be found that dealers are 

 honest, if for no other reason that it 

 does not pay to be otherwise. And as 

 an honest man, why does not your cor- 

 rcspondent give the name of the good- 

 for-nothing dahlia of which he has 

 1,250 plants, so that the trade may be 

 warned. 



The dahlia is as we all know, true 

 to its name "Variable." and a variety 

 which may do nothing one season may 

 be excellent the next and vice versa. 

 There are varieties, however, that can 

 almost be depended on to give good 

 results every season. 



And in breeding and selecting from 

 this most variable yet beautiful and 

 useful family of plants, let us keep 

 the words of your editorial before us 

 and "Develop it in the qualities of 

 more compact and less rampant 

 growth, (i. e. lor garden ornamenta- 

 tion! earlier and more abundant 

 blooming ami more upright flowers on 

 taller and stitTer stalks." 



Societies are not dead to these is- 

 sues but are doing a good work; and 

 tin' growers can be depended upon to 

 grow only varieties that are constant 

 and thus profitable. 



These are the views of 



is truly, 

 ALEX AM IK K MacLELLAN. 



Newport, R. I. 



tions may warrant the risk taken but 

 our opinion has not yet been altered 

 erage unprofitable out- 

 of spring bulb flowers forced in 

 chrysanthemum time. Should like to 

 hear from others who have tried it. It 

 i an important subject. 



Editor HORTICULTURE: 



Regarding Mr. MacLellan's dahlia 

 symphony, 1 maintain that when we 

 send out sons that do not bloom rea- 

 sonably early ami in 'h over a wide 

 area we disappoint and 

 buyer. He drops dahlias and we are 

 all losers in consequence When one 

 buys ten "newest and best" dahlias at 

 50 cents per, richly described, beauti- 

 fully illustrated, grows them two sea- 

 sons without getting a crop and then 

 inquiring of five growers at widely 

 distant points, finds each has had a 

 common experience, have we not a 

 good and sufficient reason to "insin- 



uate ' We think so. We should 

 thoroughly t> ii t ort I tie- 



old as well i in different to 



and if it is a faili near 



failure in eaeh place it should be 

 dropped, or where a soil is purely a 

 local sort it should be so noted. I find 

 the sorts that do well in Ohio, are a 

 success with all of my correspondents; 

 again, those that arc without value 

 here art tin same at other places with 

 very feu exceptions. 



Let us take Arabella. Sylvia, Coun- 

 tess of Lonsdale, as the basis of the 

 highest type, how many dahlias can 

 compare with them? if we had a plant 

 like Orange King, freedom of Sylvia, 

 eailiness of Arabella, richness of Rene 

 Cayeaux, size of Douzon or Lonsdale, 

 stems and tuber of Queen Victoria, 

 all in one, we would have a grand 

 ideal. Calmly surveying my work for 

 the past four years, I am forced to the 

 conclusion that our dahlia breeders 

 are not bleeding right nor are tiny 

 bringing together right unions. I say 

 this because I have been able to breed 

 gladioli quite to the quest sought. 



I can see a great future in store for 

 better early free-blooming dahlias. 

 An- way, let us all follow up higher 

 ideals until we achieve them, but let 

 the spirit of "why" enter into every 

 avenue, lane and path of our common 

 interests— grower, dealer and planter 

 alike. Eet it be broad building. If 

 the growers do not put the dahlia far 

 in the forefront and compel people to 

 want them for their merit alone, our 

 clientele cannot; they are at our 

 mercy. Unfortunately, dealers and 

 jobbers demand stock at prices so low 

 that quality is bound to suffer. 



Each grower must measure from his 

 own experience. The person growing 

 for a small area tan easilj select a list 

 for his limits, but let him grow for 

 broad acres and diversity of interests 

 and perforce his views must be dif- 

 ferent. Think it over, brotl er, and 

 see if I am not right. The 

 too, in every field of horticulture, all 

 ought to do more and better work. 

 C. BETSCHER. 



Canal Dover, O. 



THE EARLY BULB FORCER. 



To the Editor of HOKTICULTTJBE: 

 Dear Sir: Please allow me a few lines 

 our paper to give an explanation t.. a 

 nana slap at the growers of early 

 I aper white narcissus n hit h appeal 

 y»or ' ms i w.-is the first to 



for sale this Beason. 1 have a honse 

 used for boarding plants in summer It 

 was emptied a little earlier than 

 that explains the Indiscretion and the 

 fame, an, I nty po 



well as the average Si 



Reapet tfullv yours. 



WILLIAM PATTERSON 

 Wollaston, Mass., Nov. 28, 1911. 



Glad, indeed, are we that Mr. Pat- 

 terson's early crop of paper whites 

 showed a profit. It was because of 

 the repeated instances which came to 

 our knowledge of loss to the grower 

 which led us to discourage, as far as 

 we could, the haste shown by so many 

 forcers to rush their crop before the 

 market was in a receptive mood. As 

 in Mr. Patterson's case local condi- 



NEW BOOK BY WILHELM MILLER. 



in "What England Can Teach Us 

 About Gardening," Dr. Miller has 

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 undei no small obligation. Dr. Miller 



■ pent some considerable time among 

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The author expresses his convic- 

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Among the truest sentiments ex- 

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1 ods and deductions in making 



parisons between the worst fea- 



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her some of the English examples 



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 millions of dollars on material 



bould never buy and on effects we 



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tul than mere sentimentality and 

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■ ' Truly a great work by a great 

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There are Hi! photographic plates 

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 is published by Doubledav, Page & 

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