on the Dahlia. 283 



In giving the properties of a fine dahlia we shall first extract 

 the following from Mantell's work, entitled Floriculture. 



Criterion of a fine double Dahlia. — The flower should be 

 erect, and stand completely above the foliage; for if the pedun- 

 cle be short, so that the flower be hid among the leaves, it will 

 not be displayed to advantage. 



"Form, color, and size, are considered the essential properties 

 of a fine dahlia. 



"1. Form. — All good judges allow that perfection in form 

 consists in the near approach to a hemisphere. The Springfield 

 Rival may be given as an instance of the nearest approximation 

 to a perfect flower: it is, however, too flat in the centre, and the 

 outer petals are reflected. It is essential that the outline should 

 form a true circle, and, consequently, the petals should be regu- 

 larly disposed, rounded, smooth at the edges, or rose-leaved, 

 and slightly concave, but not so much so as that the back of the 

 petals should be seen in front. Those flowers whose petals are 

 narrow-pointed, notched, or fringed, as well as those that are flat, 

 or convex — however desirable for the flower-border — are objec- 

 tionable as shou-flowers; as are also those which, when fully 

 blown, exhibit the eye or disk. In some dahlias the petals, near 

 the centre, converge and conceal the disk, which, when the flow- 

 ers are fully expanded, becomes exposed: these are, therefore, 

 pronounced by florists imperfect flowers. 



"2. Color. — As regards color, much depends upon taste; 

 but selfs^ (i. e. flowers of one color,) of whatever color they 

 may be, should be bright and distinct. In striped, spotted, tip- 

 ped, or variegated varieties, the colors should be well defined, 

 and every petal uniformly and distinctly marked. Those that are 

 pounced, blotched, variously or irregularly marked, are inadmis- 

 sible as show-flowers. 



"3. Size. — When other properties are equal, size will deter- 

 mine the preference; but in judging of a good dahlia, form must 

 have the pre-eminence, then color, and lastly, size; but in no 

 instance should either form or color be sacrificed to size. The 

 relative proportions of excellence in these criteria have thus been 

 estimated: form three, color tuo, size one." 



Thus a dahlia, possessing the properties of form and color, 

 would be judged superior to one having color and size, the rela- 

 tive proportions being as five to three. By this standard, the 

 comparative merits of this class of show flowers have been esti- 

 mated by the censors at the exhibitions of the jNIctropolitan Flo- 

 rists' Society. 



If we were to judge all the flowers in cultivation by this rule, 

 we should find that many which are now admired would be inad- 

 missible as fine blooms. All the varieties with reflexed petals 

 would be excluded, though they embrace some of our most es- 



