1 6 The Dahlia 



were obtained by the late Mr. W. H. Cullingford, and 

 from him it passed into the hands of Mr. Henry Cannell 

 of Swanley, by whom it was exhibited for the first 

 time at the Alexandra Palace, Muswell Hill, on the 

 3rd of September 1880, and immediately after, at one 

 of the meetings of the Eoyal Horticultural Society. 

 It was at once seen that there were possibilities of 

 development in this interesting stranger. New forms 

 soon began to appear, and at the present time there 

 are many superb varieties of a number of shades and 

 combinations of colour, but all exhibiting the shape of 

 the original introduction, which obtained the name of 

 Cactus from its resemblance in colour to the vermilion 

 of Cereus speciosissimus the Showy Cactus a designa- 

 tion which was at once adopted and is now universally 

 recognised. The habit of growth is undergoing con- 

 siderable improvement, and many of the newer sorts 

 are admirably adapted for garden decoration. 



THE DECORATIVE DAHLIA 



These may be regarded as intermediate forms of 

 the Show Dahlia, brought into notice by the intro- 

 duction of the Cactus type ; but few of them have any 

 pretensions to the true Cactus character, and with the 

 wonderful improvement seen in the latter, many will 

 soon go out of cultivation. They certainly furthered 

 the employment of the Dahlia as a decorative plant 

 in our gardens, the freedom of bloom of some of 

 the varieties being their chief recommendation. In 

 America Decorative Dahlias are most popular at the 

 present time. 



