History 9 



honour of the then president of Mexico, and by 

 crossing with the parents of the earliest hybrids 

 is now the parent of the varied gorgeous blooms 

 of the present time. 



No one knows where Van der Berg's friend 

 found his dahlia root. No flower like it has 

 ever been seen either wild or cultivated in any 

 part of Mexico. It may have been a hybrid 

 created by someone there or it may have been a 

 freak of nature in God's own garden on 

 the mountain sides. Nevertheless, it is due to 

 this blossom alone that the waning interest in 

 dahlias sprang into renewed life. 



Interest in America grew and waned and grew 

 again as it had done in Europe. Mr. J. W. 

 Harshberger in Science (Vol. VI. No. 155, p. 909, 

 1897) states that the American Dahlia Society 

 was founded about 1895, and planned to stan- 

 dardize classes and varieties, to keep a check list 

 of names, etc., and do much to further the culture 

 of that beautiful flower. 



What became of the original society is not 

 known, but we may surmise that it had been 

 crushed by the weight of its responsibilities. 

 However, out of the ruins has risen another 

 American Dahlia Society, which, though still in 

 its infancy, has achieved much during the six 

 short years of its existence. 



