30 



GARDENING. 



Oct. /, 



THE AlHBRlGflN DAHLIA SOCIETY. 



Last year a few lovers of the dahlia or- 

 ganized a society for the purpose of en- 

 couraging the cultivation of this very 

 beautiful flower. Their first exhibition 

 took place at St. George's Hall, Philadel- 

 phia, recently and was a great success. 

 To all, the dahlias were a surprise, and 

 more than 500 varieties were shown. It 

 was plain to be seen that the public ap- 

 preciates the departure from the stiff ball 

 form of the old dahlia to the newer, looser 

 and more graceful cactus forms. Among 

 these were found the gems of the show. 



Wm. Agnew, a new variety, was the 

 largest flower exhibited and attracted un- 

 iversal attention owing to its size, fine 

 shape and bright color — a deep dazzling 

 scarlet; the petals are long and beautifully 

 twisted. 



Clifford W. Bruton was considered 

 the best yellow cactus dahlia, the flowers 

 are 6 inches in diameter, perfectly full to 

 the center and of a solid pure yellow. 



Mrs. W. H. Mavle took the prize as the 

 best new seedling entered in competition. 

 It is of cactus-decorative form and of 

 bright crimson color, shading towards 

 purplish blue. 



La France, also a new dahlia, was 

 awarded first prize as the best pink. 



Nymph.ea was shown in abundance, 

 proving it to be a favorite. Taking in mind 

 its many good points it is undoubtedly 

 the best dahlia in this country. While 

 not a true cactus dahlia, it is classed as 

 such, it is really a decorative form. It 

 can best be compared to a "pink water 

 lily with one hundred petals." Two prizes 

 were awarded to it. 



Snow Clad, a very pretty pompon, 

 took a premium as the best white of that 

 class. 



Frank Smith, an old variety, come in 

 first as the best tipped one. 



Oban got first prize as the largest flower 

 shown, butit was exceeded in size by Wm. 

 Agnew, which was not entered for size. 



The great feature of the show was a 

 floral design made of dahlias representing 

 an immense shield, in the center of which 

 was represented a huge dahlia, each petal 

 of which was a full size flower of La 

 France, the whole resting on a "field of 

 dahlias." The piece receivedasilvcrmedal 

 and was exhibited by Mr. Wm.H. Maule. 

 [As we did not see the "piece" we cannot 

 give an intelligent opinion about it, but 

 we would ask what useful lesson did it 

 teach? Dahlias are such substantial, last- 

 ing flowers that we can make most any 

 design out of their blossoms, but, good 

 land! isn't such a use a desecration of this 

 noble old flower? Away with your "de- 

 signs" and give us dahlias in all* their 

 glory with long and leafy stems and in 

 open array. The cactus dahlia has gained 

 in favor because of its more artistic make- 

 up as compared with the globular stiff- 

 ness of old favorites; and the single flow- 

 ered dahlias, as cut flowers, are preferred 

 to any because of their less formal shape, 

 and greater intrinsic beauty. — Ed.] 



From the treat interest shown by the 

 public in their exhibition it is safe to as- 

 sume that dahlias will be grown exten- 

 sively next year. 



Among the many the exhibitors were 

 Wm. H. Maule, W. P. Peacock, A. Blanc 

 & Co., W. Atlee Burpee & Co., H. G. 

 Faust & Co., Henry F. Michell, Taylor 

 Brothers, who showed a sweet-scented 

 single dahlia, and others. 



The Cornell University of Ithaca, New 

 York, showed over 250 varieties of 

 dahlias. A. Blanc. 



n Fr W * * * * 



60MM0N SENSE 

 FflGTS! 



% % % % 



For 



Agriculturists 



and Home Owners. 



First. Every business man, every farmer, and 

 every working man (and they are all working men, 

 whether working with hands or brains) wants and 

 should have/»// value for his work. 



Second. The gold standard is recognized as the 

 basis of actual value in all of the civilized nations of 

 the earth. 



Th i rd . In any and all markets of the world to-day it 

 takes 30 pounds of silver to buy one pound of gold. Now, 



Fourth. Why, oh! why, should a few (less than 

 100) mine owneisask any reader of this paper, as a con- 

 scientious voter, to allow them an unlimited coinage and 

 insist on the Government stamp being put upon it, 

 at the ratio 16 pounds to i .' 



What does this mean? It simply means an 

 enormous profit to them (the few) and a big loss to 

 every producer. 



The American Voter 



Must Think! 



and if he thinks, he will not vote for unlimited free silver. 

 Fifth. The present limited or restricted coinage is 

 all right, and to-day $i in silver will buy ioo cents' 

 worth; but with unlimited coinage a silver dollar will be 

 worth only its weight in metal — or about 50 cents to the 

 dollar. 



Do you, reader, want to work at this proportion or 

 sell your products, whether of your farm, your hands, or 

 your brains, on this reduced basis? Not if you have 

 common sense ! 



Put on Your 

 Thinking Cap ! 



A Vote for McKinley and Hobart with a 

 Gold Dollar Basis will be the thing! 



