Varieties in Alien Soil and Climate 205 



to goad us to exasperation. There are a few 

 good ones, but, nevertheless, they have their 

 faults. Manitou is good when he has reverted 

 from the type (variegated with white), a splen- 

 did decorative. Meyerbeer, a pendulous peony 

 of great size, will sometimes turn the plum colour 

 of Cervantes' Dahlia pinnata or a deep wine 

 colour, according to the amount of lime in the 

 soil or the temperature of the air. 



Pink dahlias! have you seen many really 

 pink? Yes, Delice, but that is all. 



Years ago there were no pinks. The nearest 

 to the colour in the early days was Nymphea or 

 Sylvia, "two names with but a single flower." 

 They are the dear little blushing round blossoms 

 seen in every dooryard for four generations, and 

 even now are the most popular with the florist. 

 After Juarezii arrived, the cupped petals were 

 turned back and Kremhilda came into being, a 

 cheery little cactus with white centre, identical 

 in habit and colour. When Hornsvelt brought 

 out the peony dahlia Gloire de Baarn, it seemed 

 a real achievement. Not much later came 

 Delice; she has stood alone ever since, and Gloire 

 de Baarn is relegated to the scrap heap. Of 

 course, there are now gorgeous salmon pinks, 

 shrimp pinks, cerise pinks through every shade 

 and combination of shades, but Delice stands 



