THE SHOW DAHLIA 19 



In briefly tracing the development of the show Dahlia, 

 the oldest and historically the most important of the several 

 classes of Dahlias in cultivation, it may be of interest to 

 mention that during the first ten or twelve years of the 

 nineteenth century much attention was devoted to the 

 cultivation of Dahlias and the raising of new varieties by 

 growers in various parts of the Continent of Europe. 

 We know that during the first decade Dahlias had become 

 established at Erfurt, Leipzig, and Louvain, and that much 

 progress in their culture had been made in France, particu- 

 larly in the neighbourhood of Paris, and that, in the year 

 1814, both German and French growers were sending to this 

 country some of their own productions, which were the pre- 

 cursors of the show and fancy varieties. To M. Donckelaar 

 of the Louvain Botanic Garden belongs the honour of having 

 launched the Dahlia on the tide of time as a florists' flower, 

 and thereby provided for many generations of flower-lovers 

 an immense amount of interest and pleasure. M. Doncke- 

 laar turned his attention to Dahlias in 1812, and in that year 

 raised a considerable number of seedlings, but these all 

 produced single flowers. He continued his efforts to 

 obtain new forms, and in 1813 he succeeded in raising 

 several varieties with semi-double flowers. This success 

 stimulated him to further endeavours, and in 1814 he ob- 

 tained varieties with flowers that were quite double, and 

 some of these he sent to this country during the winter 

 of 1814-15. They at once attracted attention, and as 

 they became known they created much interest among the 

 amateurs, who added them to their gardens as soon as 

 circumstances would permit, and in many cases entered into 

 the interesting work of raising seedlings. Chief among the 



