12 PRESENT-DAY GARDENING 



decorative varieties that were brought into prominence 

 about 1870. They were the precursors of the type known 

 as the show Dahlia, and until 1830 the blooms were smaller 

 than those of the present day, and many of them had 

 florets that were long and pointed and more or less cupped. 

 After the next twenty years rapid progress was made in 

 the development of the Dahlia along the lines laid down 

 by the recognised authorities. The florets lost their points 

 and became smooth and rounded, and so regularly arranged 

 as to give the blooms an unbroken outline, which the 

 height of the crown and the refinement of the flower 

 materially increased. Concurrently with the development 

 of the show Dahlias the fancy varieties were evolved. The 

 difference between the two sections is merely a matter of 

 colour, the show flowers being self coloured or tipped 

 with a darker colour, while the fancies are striped, or flaked, 

 with a deeper colour on a light ground, or tipped with a 

 lighter colour. 



During the period from 1840 to 1860, the show and 

 fancy Dahlias were supplemented by the small-flowered 

 varieties variously known as bouquet, lilliputian, and 

 pompon ; the last name being now generally recognised. 

 Their origin has long been a source of perplexity to those 

 who are interested in the historical aspect of the Dahlia, 

 and one may search in vain for direct evidence upon this 

 point. There is, however, no doubt that they were of 

 German origin, that they were raised in the district of 

 which Koestritz is the centre, and introduced to this country 

 in the middle of the nineteenth century. 



From about 1860 the popularity of the Dahlia declined 

 at a rapid rate, and during the next ten years or so it was 



