The Dahlia in America 1 1 5 



good soaking, when they make a rapid growth and come in bloom 

 about the same time as Chrysanthemums, and give a very good 

 display of flowers. Should the weather be dry, of course the 

 Chrysanthemum comes first in favour, but in damp weather the 

 Dahlia makes a good second. WILLIAM ELDRED. 



SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. 



In writing of the Dahlia in America it must be 

 borne in mind by the reader that the territory thus 

 covered is immense. The particulars given in the 

 foregoing relate chiefly to New York as a centre, and 

 it would be necessary to make allowances for the 

 climatic variations as one went any considerable dis- 

 tance north or south ; and the west, again, is so entirely 

 different as to present entirely other problems. 



As an indication of the standards of merit, the 

 following variety lists are taken from authoritative 

 sources. Mr. T. A. Havemeyer, the leading amateur 

 grower of the time, annually imports the season's 

 leaders from abroad, and his report for 1901 is as 

 follows : 



At your request I send a list of Cactus Dahlias that have 

 proved the most successful with me this season, taking as a 

 standard perfection of flower, freedom of bloom, length of stem, 

 and habit of growth. We tested the greatly advertised GREEN'S 

 WHITE, but unless it. does better it will be worthless in this 

 country, as we were unable to procure a perfect flower from ten 

 good, healthy plants. A new decorative Dahlia of great beauty 

 is MADAM VAN DEN DAEL, very large flowers, of a pleasing 

 silvery pink, splendid form, with long stems. I consider this the 

 best all-round decorative Dahlia I have seen to date. The best 

 new Show Dahlia we thought was DAVID JOHNSON ; it is the same 

 quilled type as A. D. Livoni. The colour is a delicate peach 

 pink or salmon, beautifully quilled, and a perfect sphere in 

 shape. It is very free and dwarf. 



WIELAND, a new Cactus Dahlia of German origin; pretty 

 pink, free and dwarf. 



