DAHLIAS 



CHAPTER I 

 INTRODUCTION 



THE Dahlia differs in some respects from many of the 

 flowers on which the florists of this country have lavished 

 care and skill. It is similar to most of them in having 

 been brought to so high a state of development as to en- 

 able it to contribute to the attractions of the garden and 

 to bring honours to cultivators at the exhibitions ; but, 

 unlike some other flowers, it has not succeeded in evoking 

 a degree of enthusiasm proportionate to its merits. The 

 Dahlia does not appear to have appealed very strongly to 

 the poets, and the literature of the flower has suffered some- 

 what from the fact that writers have in the past overlooked 

 its historical aspect, confining their attention almost ex- 

 clusively to cultural details. Such practical information is 

 certainly of greater value than any other, but it should not 

 be regarded as all that the cultivator needs to know. Those 

 who would achieve success either in the creation of tasteful 

 effects in the garden or the production of exhibition blooms 

 must acquire a knowledge of the cultural details, but their 

 interest in the flower will be all the greater if they study 



A 



