8 The Dahlia 



THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE DAHLIA 



In the third volume of the Transactions of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society it is stated that " the 

 merit of first carefully attending to and cultivating the 

 Dahlia belongs exclusively to the continental gardeners, 

 for though we in this country received the varieties 

 originally imported to Europe almost as soon as the 

 French and Germans, yet, if not lost, they nearly 

 went out of notice with us ; whilst in France and 

 Germany they meanwhile increased as much in 

 number as in beauty, and persons who visited the 

 Continent on the return of peace in 1814 were 

 surprised with the splendour and variety of the 

 Dahlias in the foreign collections. In the winter of 

 that year several roots were imported to this country, 

 and since that period our home growers have made 

 up for former neglect, as is sufficiently evinced by 

 the splendid exhibition of these flowers in the public 

 and private gardens near London." The first double 

 or semi - double flowers were obtained about the 

 year 1814 by M. Donkelaar of the Botanic Gardens, 

 Louvain ; and from three plants which bore double 

 flowers many varieties were raised, and were imported 

 into this country during the winter of that year. 

 From 1815 and onwards great activity was shown in 

 raising new varieties, and though the single type found 

 some favour with raisers and growers, earnest efforts 

 were put forth to develop the finest double flowers 

 until the forerunners of the present superb types were 

 reached. 



