IMPROVEMENTS 43 



considerable period after the double Dahlias had practically 

 obtained undisputed sway. 



The two varieties last named were soon followed by 

 other single Dahlias, for raisers were quick to recognise the 

 trend of public taste in favour of single flowers, and to take 

 the steps necessary to meet the demand for them. Crosses 

 were effected between D. coccinea and the two varieties re- 

 introduced with it, and possibly between this trio and D. 

 Merckii, which under the name of D. glabrata was introduced 

 from Mexico in 1840, and new varieties with well formed 

 and attractively coloured flowers were introduced. In a 

 short time cultivators found to their hand a consider- 

 able number of single Dahlias of great excellence, and 

 with these there were some that, owing to their coarse 

 habit and large, floppy flowers, were of but little value. 

 Not all the raisers in the earlier days of the single Dahlia 

 were equally careful in making selections from their seed 

 beds, and the distribution of varieties that were not satis- 

 factory had the effect of giving a check to their popularity. 

 Happily this practice, which obtained only among a few, 

 was soon abandoned, and for many years the greatest 

 care has been taken to select for distribution none but 

 those that show a decided improvement in one or more 

 respects upon those of a similar character or colour already 

 in cultivation. As a consequence the varieties in commerce 

 are of so high an order of merit that the chief difficulty of 

 the inexperienced in making a selection is to obtain a 

 proper representation of the varied colours which the 

 single Dahlias afford. 



So far the reference to single Dahlias has been limited 

 to varieties that have flowers of medium size, circular in 



