Ma,y.~] CHARACTER OF A FINE DAHLIA. 1G7 



The above are the choicest in cultivation at the present 

 time, and for farther description in regard to colour, height 

 and price, we beg to refer our readers to the periodical 

 catalogues of our respectable nurserymen that are issued 

 every spring, and contain many other sorts of eminence ; 

 and not a few equally desirable with the above, though the 

 descriptions of some that are annually received from Eng- 

 land are more tempting than the article : whether there are 

 some sorts that do produce more perfect and beautiful flow- 

 ers in their humid climate than they do when transferred 

 to ours, we cannot practically decide, but presume that it 

 is the fact, for we are confident, and every season does 

 more fully confirm it, that the seedlings grown in this coun- 

 try from seed sowed here do grow better, and flower finer, 

 than the generality of those imported ; and, to prevent us 

 adopting inferior sorts, and giving them dashing names, 

 we subjoin the following rules for judging: 



CHARACTER OF A FINE DAHLIA. 



" The best judges distinguish Dahlias by the three cri- 

 teria of form, colour and size. 



"1. Form. The front view of the blossom should be 

 perfectly circular, without notches or inequalities, caused by 

 the petals being pointed, and not as they should be, round- 

 ed, smooth at the edges, and slightly concave, but not so 

 much as to show any of the back. One of the most per- 

 fect flowers, in this respect, is the Springfield Rival. When 

 the petals are pointed, notched, fringed, piped, quilled, con- 

 cave, convex, or flat, the perfectness of the circle is broken, 

 and one indispensable beauty in the eye of the florist is 

 deficient. 



"When the eye or disc is shown in the full-blown flower, 

 it is also a striking defect. 



"The side view of a first rate flower should be that of a 

 perfect hemisphere. 



"There is, perhaps, no example of this perfection of form 

 without some slight deficiency. The Countess of Liver- 

 pool is one of the nearest to a perfect flower in this respect. 



" 2. Colour. This is looked upon by florists as an infe- 



