Varieties in Alien Soil and Climate 203 



it a dahlia Yellow Hammer, for instance 

 seems to be moulded out of butter. 



There are two yellow cactus dahlias with white 

 tips, both named Melody. One came from 

 Stredwick in England, the other from Peacock 

 in New Jersey. Both revert to plain yellow and 

 are as like as twins. Cockatoo is another, but 

 of hybrid type. Sea-horse also is a hybrid 

 cactus from California of exactly the same 

 colouring and tendency to revert. In fact, one 

 might say that a variegated dahlia is a glorified 

 Dahlia Variabilis. Sooner or later they revert 

 to the colour of which they contain the greatest 

 amount of pigment. Mabel B. Taft, a sub- 

 stantial yellow decorative, is distinctly overlaid 

 with pink, while Mrs. Richard Lohrman, a 

 monstrous yellow hybrid cactus, has none of it 

 and ranks among the sulphur-yellow dahlias. 



Lavender is a ticklish colour to handle at all 

 times, but more so with dahlias because they 

 do not want to be lavender. There are a few, 

 however, which have proven their worth. The 

 oldest, called Libelle, of the size and form of 

 Kremhilda, is still a favourite with many. It 

 is small, dainty, and free-flowering but not stead- 

 fast in its colour. 



Bianca, perhaps, ranks first a pure, true 

 lavender hybrid cactus, intense in the cooler 



