511 [AsSEMBL'i 



richest and most important ornament of our gardens, and tliis pre-em- 

 mence is owing entirely and completely to Horticulture. The Dahlia 

 now sought for by amateurs is not precisely (as is well known) the 

 work of nature. In fact, in the year 1789, when it was carried from 

 Mexico, its native land, to Spain, and placed in the Botanical garden 

 of Madrid, the flower had neither the roundness of or the richness of 

 color which are now so much admired. It presented only two rows 

 of petals in its circumference, and had in its centre a multitude of lit- 

 tle yellow flowers of no brilliancy. In this condition the dahlia at- 

 tracted very little attention, but now, thanks to the perseverance of 

 man, this plant is at present actually placed in the first rank in our 

 collections. 



But that change, we must acknowledge, has been produced very 

 slowly J during the year after its introduction into Europe, the dahlia 

 presented no sensible modification, its colors had but little variety. 

 Only three were known, and they served M. Cavanillesto establish its 

 species, the rose, the purple and the scarlet, which remained confined 

 to the garden of Madrid until 1802. At that period a French physi- 

 cian of the name of Thibaud, carried to Paris a single one of each 

 kind, and placed it in the Museum, where M. Thouin put them into 

 pots, and these under glass. Here, as in Madrid, the dahUa was con- 

 sidered to be more important as an eatable root, than as a flower, 

 much less a conquest for Floriculture. But they multiplied it within 

 the narrow domain of the Museum, in hope, as Thouin says, to see it 

 flourish in open air, so that it might be employed as a middle flower 

 in the borders of large parteres. So far the administration of the 

 museum had filled its mission. It had propagated it and had indicat- 

 ed the mode of its culture. 



A few years later it came into the hands of the flower gardeners, 

 and after it had been proved to be of no use as a root to eat, they be- 

 gan to improve it as a flower. In I8l0 some new and important 

 varieties were obtained, the primitive colors began to change foi 

 others, the gardeners now had lilac, pale rose, saffron and yellowish, 

 derived from the three primitive tints. These changes began to attract 

 the serious attention of some gardeners, and about the year 1818, they 

 obtained by means of its seed, the first varieties of double flowers* 



