History of the Dahlia 1 1 



THE TYPES OF THE DAHLIA 



By the florist Dahlias are divided into several 

 sections, viz., Show, Fancy, Pompon or Bouquet, 

 Cactus or Decorative, and Single. The two former 

 run so closely the one into the other, and the dis- 

 tinction between them is so artificial, that they are 

 now practically fused into one, though in catalogues 

 the varieties are still ranged under the heads of Show 

 and Fancy. 



THE SHOW DAHLIA 



This section comprises all self-coloured and all 

 shaded flowers, such as the Prince of Denmark, which 

 has a maroon almost a black shading thrown over 

 a deep wine crimson ground ; and all flowers having 

 petals of a pale ground colour, edged with pink, rose, 

 mauve, purple, crimson, maroon, etc. ; J. T. West and 

 Miss Cannell may be cited as typical varieties. 



THE FANCY DAHLIA 



This is simply the large rounded Show or Ex- 

 hibition Dahlia in a later form of development. The 

 reason why the two sections were divided is found in 

 the fact that the Fancy type was later, in point of time, 

 in appearing, and for a number of years its varieties 

 were inferior both in size and in outline to those of 

 the Show type. The first Fancy Dahlias appear to 

 have originated with Count Lelieur of Paris. He 

 succeeded in raising some striped and shaded single 

 flowers, and from these, it is believed, the present 



