DAHLIA. 109 



mania. It is tuberous rooted, throwing- up a stem from two 

 to eight feet high, depending on the kind, season, situation, 

 and soil ; it hears innumerable quantities of flowers, beauti- 

 fully diversified in color, from pure snow-white to black, or 

 nearly so, with all the shades intervening ; not only selfs, 

 that is of one color, but some most magnificently variegat- 

 ed, tipped, or striped. The stem branching and the leaves 

 vary in shape nearly as much as the flowers. Although 

 nature has given this plant great scope in variety of color, 

 there has not been one produced of an azure blue, a color 

 rarely found in any plant that produces a clear yellow. 

 There are some exceptions to this rule ; the amateur should 

 not be discouraged as it may be obtained ; if so, it would 

 produce a fortune to the person that raised it, if sold in Eu- 

 rope. The price set on the flower in this country, that is, 

 on seedling Dahlias, is not commensurate to the trouble the 

 merit of the flower would deserve. It is a formidable rival 

 to the queen of flowers, the " Rose ;" in grace and brilliancy 

 of bloom is its superior, and it only lacks perfume to prove 

 its superiority to all others in the floral world. 



This gorgeous flower is a native of Mexico. It was in- 

 troduced into Europe about fifty years ago, and was, by 

 some mismanagement, lost; the seed was re-introduced 

 again by Lady Georgina Holland, and was named after her ; 

 but the name previously given was Dahlia, after a celebrat- 

 ed botanist of the name of Dahl, which appears to retain ils 

 prerogative up to the present time. Humboldt, in his trav- 

 els in Mexico, says it is found growing in the meadows and 

 plains of that country, of all colors, but the flowers are sin- 

 gle. Cultivation has made them double, the same as the 

 Helianthus of this country, by which means the whole 



