cumstances be alike or not. To plant tastefully and 

 properly, we must exercise, in all respects, a careful 

 discriaiination. We cannot here treat the subject so 

 mimitely as we could wish, but we tjust it will not 

 be altogether in vain that we have pointed out some 

 prevalent errors on tlie subject, and made a few sug- 

 gestions as to which we consider the proper mode of 

 proceeding. 



We have thought it might be well to add a few 

 measurements indicating the rate of growth of a few 

 of the trees most commonly ])lantcd. These meas- 

 urements are of specimens in our own grounds, 

 planted iu 1840 and '41, of the ordinary size of such 

 trees when taken from the nursery. 



Horse Chentnuts—Vihcon feet high, trunk twenty 

 inches in circumference near the ground, and head 

 ten feet wide. 



.Mountain Ash — Twenty feet high, trunk two feet 

 in circumference, and head twelve feet wide. 



European Linden — Twenty-five feet high, trunk 

 two feet in circumference near the ground, and head 

 eighteen feet wide. 



Ailanthus — Twenty-five to thirty feet high, trunk 

 two and a half feet in circumference, and head fifteen 

 feet wide. 



Laburnum — Eighteen feet high, trunk fifteen in- 

 ches in circumference, and head five feet wide. 



Lrtrc/i— Twenty-five to thirty feet high, trunk, at 

 the ground, two feet in circumference, lower branches 

 twenty feet wide. 



Paidonia — Four years growth in all — Eighteen 

 feet high, trunk seven feet high andeighteen inches 

 in circumference, and head twelve feet wide. 



JVorway Spruce — Twenty to twenty-five feet 

 high, trunk twenty to twenty-four inches in circum- 

 ference near the ground, and width of lower branches 

 sixteen to twenty feet. 



Balsain Fir — Twenty to twenty-five feet high, 

 trunk sixteen to eighteen inches in circumference 

 at the ground, and width of lower branches ten to 

 fifteen feet. 



European Silver Fir — Planted ten years ago, then 

 five feet high ; now twenty feet high, trunk, near 

 the ground, two feet in circumference, and width of 

 lower branches ten feet. 



The Weeping Willow and Snowy Ahcle would 

 nearly, if not quite, double in growth any we have 

 noticed. 



DAHLIAS 



The past season, on the whole, was highly favora- 

 ble for the dahlias. The early part was rather moist, 

 iuducing a rank growth and but few good flowers ; 

 but October was dry and clear, without frost, and 

 brought them out in great perfection. We have 

 never seen so many varieties, and so good, exhibited 

 here before, as at our last autumnal show ; and the 

 attention given to a critical examination of their in- 

 dividual characters and qualities, by many of our cit- 

 izens, showed the existence and growth of a discrimi- 

 nating taste. Until very lately, with us, a dahlia 

 was but a dahlia. Most of those wiio planted them 

 in their garden, were well enough pleased to have a 

 flower approaching double, if it had a color to their 

 taste ; but now we find that the qualities that make 

 up a perfect flower begin to be looked into, and novel- 

 ties, in the way of rare and striking combinations of 

 colors, are, in a measure, appreciated. Every year 

 this taste must improve, provided our professional 



growers take care to bring out only first rate flowers, 

 and discard everything that is poor or iudiiferent. 

 We look upon a poor dahlia as one of the meanest 

 floral productions that can be presented ; whilst a 

 really good one, is one of the proudest triumphs of 

 modern floricultural skill. 



In looking over the English papers, we gather from 

 the accounts of the dahlia shows of 1850, that the fol- 

 lowing varieties have been the most successful in 

 obtaining prizes : 



Duke of Wellington, 

 Thames Bank Hero, 

 Fearless, 

 Masnilicent, 

 Richard Cobden, 

 Mrs. Scldon, 

 Beauty of Hastings, 

 Purple Standard. 

 Yellow Standard, 

 Queen of the Isles, 



Essex Triumph, 

 Rlr. Seldon, 

 Toison d'Or, 

 Snowflake, 

 Scarlet Gem, 

 Queen of Primroses, 

 Keepsake, 

 Flying Dutchman, 

 Princess Radziwill, 

 Shylock, 

 Prince. 





Black 



Reports all speak well for the advance of the fan- 

 cy varieties to perfection. It is expected they will 

 soon be as unique in this respect, as ordinary varie- 

 ties. Among the new sorts of these, Elizabeth, 

 Comte de Flanders, Miss Blackmore, Emperor de 

 Maroc, Striata Perfecta, Jenny Lind, Flying 

 Dutchman, and Unique, seem to have taken the lead. 



In our own collection, we have noted a few that, 

 considering all their properties, can hardly be sur- 

 passed. In estimating the value of a dahlia, we take 

 into strict account its free or shy blooming. If a 

 dahlia be ever so good, as to form and color of flower, 

 and yet a shy bloomer, we discard it ; for in our cli- 

 mate, we must have free bloomers, or the chances are 

 ten to one, in most seasons, that we shall not get a 

 flower at all. 



Audibert — Golden yellow, very large. 



Baron de Morelle — Pale blush, marked with lilac, 

 very large and perfect. Did not see a poor flower 

 during the season of about three months. We noted 

 it as the best we have seen of its color. 



Bunte von Estenthall — Deep crimson, richly shaded 

 with bronze and purple. 



Belle de St. Lawrence — Blush broadly tipped with 

 deep purple. 



Delight — White, tipped with deep purple. 



Faure de St. Hilaire — Small, very globular, a 

 delicate fawn color. Very regular and pretty, but 

 too apt to have an open center. 



Furst Wolkonsky — Very large, a rich, dark, velvety 

 crimson. 



Grafen Hohenthall — White, lightly tipped with 

 lilac. 



Jo Triumphant-^Clear, beautiful lilac. 



Liebliche von Elstenthall — Very striking and beau- 

 tiful — primrose yellow tipped with white, like Flo- 

 rence Dombcy. 



Lass of Clarendon — Creamy white. 



Lidispcnsable White — Pure white, very large. 



Isis — Lemon yellow, tipped with bronze. 



JVorman Hero — Scarlet, with a crimson shade — 

 very large. * 



Pfarrar Kraus — Dark claret. 



Prince of Cobourg — Purplish crimson. 



Reine d' Or — Golden yellow, lightly edged with red. 



Princess Alice — White. 



Princess Radziwill — White ground, deeply edged 

 and laced with purple. 



Sir E. Antrobus — Fiery crimson. 



Toison d'Or — Bufl^, beautiful. 



