DECORATIVE VARIETIES 17 



to say that they connect the past with the present, and that 

 they are both interesting and useful. The older varieties, 

 which take us back to the distant past when the show 

 flower was in the process of development, are of interest as 

 showing the type of flower that found favour before the 

 show Dahlia had assumed its present fame. The newer 

 decorative Dahlias include varieties raised in this country 

 and abroad, and they have been introduced to cultivation 

 from time to time during the past quarter of a century. 

 These latter differ materially in character and beauty from 

 the older varieties, and possess much greater value both for 

 exhibition and garden decoration. The best of them are 

 included in the selections given in Chapter VIII, and the 

 lists should be closely followed. 



