NEW VARIETIES 31 



seeds, and from one of the tubers this Dahlia was raised. It 

 will thus be seen that a period of eight years elapsed between 

 its introduction to Europe and the appearance of blooms at 

 a public exhibition in this country. To the late Mr. W. H. 

 Cullingford of Kensington belongs the credit of introducing 

 the cactus Dahlia to this country. He met with it in one 

 of the nurseries near Haarlem, and attracted by the distinct 

 form and bright colouring of the flowers, he purchased 

 plants and grew them for one or two years without being 

 aware of the rarity of the type. He eventually gave some 

 plants to Mr. Cannell, who, recognising the potentialities of 

 the flower, cultivated it well and brought it into public 

 notice. 



The readiness with which the raisers turned their atten- 

 tion to the production of varieties of D. Yuarezii is of 

 interest as evidence that they had recognised the trend of 

 public taste and were anxious to meet the varying require- 

 ments consequent on the changes in the world of flori- 

 culture. As the result of their activities numbers of new 

 varieties were soon forthcoming, and by 1891 they had so 

 greatly increased that the National Dahlia Society found 

 it necessary to provide a class specially for them in the 

 schedule of its exhibition for that year. By this time two 

 sports from D. Yuarezii had been fixed and distributed. 

 These were known as Beauty of Arundel (white) and 

 Professor Baldwin (rose-purple). 



In the production of new cactus Dahlias raisers made at 

 the commencement the same mistakes as raisers of other 

 flowers : they concentrated their efforts upon the develop- 

 ment of the individual blooms instead of improving both 

 the plant and its flowers. In following the course of pro- 



