TlIK METROPOLITAN DAHLIA SOCIETY. 297 



behind, there is abundant room' for the exercise of that jealousy which 

 any supposed wrong creates, and nothing' is considered a greater Avrong 

 to the enthusiastic growers of one flower than to devote tlie funds of a 

 society to another. The Metropolitan Society had arrived at this state 

 two years ago. The Dahlia-growing members increased, the lovers 

 of other flowers decreased, and the ibrmer felt annoyed when tlieir 

 subscriptions, or any part of tliem, were devoted to prizes for such 

 other flowers. Besides, there was a supposition abroad tliat a society 

 like that would, if in bad hands, be a powerful auxiliary to the unfair 

 trader. It would have been made instrumental in forcing on the public 

 bad things as good ones. Tiiose who have seen the Metropolitan 

 Society looked up to by everybody as a fine test for novelties, and 

 respected its objects and its character, were anxious to see the last of 

 it, instead of its becoming in other hands the means of defrauding the 

 public. It was right that the president and secretary, and the respectable 

 members of the committee who meant to retire, should see the formal 

 dissolution of the Society before they deserted their posts ; and, strange 

 as it may appear, out of the good materials will be formed several 

 societies for the encouragement of so many difl^erent flowers ; and as 

 all the jealousy and grounds of dissatisfaction will be avoided, there is 

 little doubt that there will be more members to each than there ever 

 was to tlie whole of the Metropolitan Society as it stood. The recent 

 formation of the Royal Metropolitan Dahlia Society was the work of 

 scarcely an hour, a,nd already there is more subscribeil than there used 

 to be for the whole of the flowers. The meetings will not be so fre- 

 quent ; tiie rules will be well defined ; the proceedings will be under 

 the direction of those who supply tlie means of being liberal, and we 

 do not fear the result ; the entrance fees of showers will be less than 

 heretofore ; but tiiere will be one class interesting to the smallest cul- 

 tivators, even tiiose who only grow a dozen plants. A class for the 

 best six new flowers, let out by subscribers only, will be thrown 

 entirely open, at a nominal entrance of one shilling, to all members 

 and non-members who enter for that class before the first Tuesday in 

 September. This class will have certainly not less than two prizes, 

 but the plan of giving two-thirds of the stands prizes will be adhered 

 to, however many there be. Here, then, is a field open to the whole 

 country, even to people who have only a sod of ground, and can barely 

 grow a dozen of the new flowers. The prizes in this class will be 50*., 

 45*., 405., 35*., 30*., 255., 20*., 15*., 10*., 5*., and the rest, up to two- 

 thirds of the class, 2s. 6d. each. The establishment of this class, of 

 which we have well considered the effect, will induce hundreds of 

 young beginners to commence with the new flowers instead of old ones ; 

 and if they who have new flowers to let out act wisely, tiiey will add 

 their names to the list of five-guinea subscribers. The amateurs will 

 find that, by confining the subscriptions to this one flower, the en- 

 trances will be lower than usual. The entrance, iiowever, of non- 

 members will be in all cases three times as much in each class, so that 

 it is as well that those who usually exhibit enrol tlieir names at once, 

 or at least signify their intention so to do. The list of all the new 

 flowers let out by the subscribers will be constantly kept before tlie 



