Retrospective Criticism. 447 



few past years the new varieties have increased to a vast extent, and 

 the perfection to which the flowers ha.ve attained has been as great as 

 the number has been numerous. Before the dahlia became estabhshed 

 among the florist's flowers it was estimated by its general appearance 

 and beauty; soon, however, it was found necessary, the new varieties 

 increased so fast, to establish some standard rule by which all the flow- 

 ers were to be judged, in the same manner as hyacinths, tulips, carna- 

 tions, &c. This was consequently done; and since the properties of the 

 dahlia have been established, every blootn is, or should be, estimated by 

 their conformity to them. This has generally been done; but in some 

 instances flowers have been cultivated which do not possess scarcely 

 one property of a fine variety. When such kinds get into cultivation it 

 should be the duty of the conductor of a work like ours to make known 

 such flowers, in order that the public may be enabled to know what are 

 worth, and what are not worth, growing: in a like manner it is his duty 

 to point out the comparative merits of new flowers, and to decide upon 

 their superiority. So far as our hunsble opinion goes we have done, 

 and always shall do so, in order that the floricultural community, espe- 

 cially those who are willing to rely upon our judgment, maj' be kept in- 

 formed of the value of every new dahlia. We may differ from others 

 in our opinion, but we have given too much attention to the cultivation 

 of the dahlia not to profess some knowledge of a fine flower. 



At the meeting of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society above al- 

 luded to there was presented for exhibition several dahlias, from a few 

 cultivators. The meeting being thinly attended, some conversation en- 

 sued, among the cultivators present, and, as would naturally be sup- 

 posed, upon the dahlia, it being about the only flower exhibited. The 

 conductor, from among those of Hovey & Co. took the Marchioness of 

 Tavistock, and, showing it to the above gentlemen, remarked that it 

 was said to be one of the finest varieties that had been sent out by Mr. 

 Widnall the present year, (dry roots selling for £10.) The conductor 

 also remarked that it was a faulty bloom, (having some distorted petals,) 

 but that, in all other respects, it was a fair specimen. With the Beauty 

 of Cambridge in one hand and the Marchioness of Tavistock in the 

 other, the two were compared, and the observation made was, that it 

 strongly resembled the former, and, if our memory serves us, (for we did 

 not think then of ever speaking of the decision,) that the Beauty of 

 Cambridge was one which would be grown bj' them as soon as the 

 Marchioness of Tavistock. This is the foundation of our remarks. 

 All who saw the latter flower, and viewed it without prejudice, know 

 that it is no more like the Beauty of Cambridge than the old Mountain 

 of Snow is like Seaman's Clara, or Exemplar. There never could be 

 a more apparent want of judgment, (not to mention taste.) The [)etals 

 of the Beauty of Cambridge are stiff', irregular and blunt, nearly every 

 flower showing a great ej'e, and the colors dirty white and dull purple, 

 mottled and unevenly shaded into one another, without any distinctness. 

 Not so with the Marchioness of Tavistock. The petals are round, 

 slightly reflexed and j)ure white, exquisitely edged with the most beau- 

 tiful rose, (a color with which no other dahlia is edged, except Gem,) 

 and the flower never shows an eye. The bloom here alluded to pos- 

 sessed all these properties; but having been cut from a weak plant, set 

 out as late as July 7, at which time it was but six inches high, one or 

 two of the petals were irregular, which rendered it a faulty one — not a 

 fault, however, to give it a "strong resemblance" to the Beauty of Cam- 

 bridge, but one which led us to leave it out altogether in the markings 

 referred to in the latter part of the above letter. Perhaps it may be 

 here proper to remark, that it is an established rule with the Metropoli- 

 tan Society of florists and amateurs, of Loudon, that one bloom with a 



