October i6, 1895.] 



Garden and Forest. 



419 



Albert Knapper, Frankford, Pennsylvania ; C. B. Taylor, Ger- 

 mantown ; Rev. C. W. Bolton, Pelhamville, New York. 



One who studied these Dahlias would discern four general 

 types or classes — the old ball-flowered type, the so-called Cactus 

 type, the Pompons and the single-flowered sorts. The most 

 decorative and artistic of these are the Cactus-flowered and 

 single tvpes, and the former are now popular with all growers, 

 although it is said that flower buyers still prefer the formal 

 ball-like varieties. The Cactus Dahlias bear a strong" resem- 

 blance to the more formal Chrysanthemums, and when they 

 are better known they may be expected to share some of the 

 praise which the Chrysanthemum receives. This type origi- 

 nated from the famous Dahlia Juarezii, although that old form 

 would not now be considered the typical one for a Cactus 

 Dahlia. Tastes have changed since its advent, and breeders 

 of Dahlias have made marked departures from the original. 

 The Cactus Dahlia of a few years ago was characterized by an 

 open, rather loose flower, in which the florets were of unequal 

 lengths and overlapping, and the corollas flattened out at their 

 extremities, instead of being tubular or funnel-form, as in the 

 older types. These features are still retained in the main, but 

 the florets must now be longer, with revolute margins or tips 

 and a tendency to twist. In other words, the Dahlia is under- 

 going an evolution toward freedom and oddity of outline simi- 

 lar to that which has characterized the recent history of the 

 Chrysanthemum. 



The Pompon Dahlias are simply miniatures of the old ball- 

 shaped types, but their earliness and freedom of bloom will 

 certainly make them favorites. To many persons the single 

 Dahlias are the most satisfactory of all the varieties, but they 

 find only a limited sale in the general market. A true single 

 Dahlia, as understood in England, should have but eight rays, 

 but most of those which one sees at exhibitions in this coun- 

 try have more than that number. 



IVIost of the Dahlias now raised in this country by the large 

 growers are used for stock, that is, to produce salable bulbs, 

 but the time is surely coming when the Dahlia will have a 

 place of importance in the cut-flower trade and for decorative 

 gardening. The varieties may be cast into three sections \n 

 respect to the size of the plants — the dwarfs, eighteen inches or 

 less high ; the halt-dwarfs, two and a halt feet high or less, and 

 the standards or tall kinds, some of the last sometimes reaching 

 a height of twelve or fifteen feet. A fourth class might be made, 

 comprising the Tom Thumbs, which grow twelve inches or 

 less high. The tall kinds are generally most useful for cut 

 flowers, because the stems are very long, while some of the 

 dwarfs are excellent for bedding, and the short-stemmed flow- 

 ers are useful in the making of floral pieces. The half-dwarfs 

 — a race which is receiving much attention at Mr. Peacock's 

 place — afford some varieties which give excellent stems for 

 cutting, and they are also useful in high bedding and for bor- 

 ders. During the summer and autumn iVIr. Peacock has sold 

 cut dahlias for a higher price than that ruling for roses. They 

 often retail for as much as one dollar a dozen. Better results 

 in cut flowers are to be had if the plants are given ample room 

 — at least two by four feet. At this distance they also stand the 

 dry weather better. 



Among the varieties on exhibition, the following may be 

 mentioned : Nymphaea, a very fine Cactus Dahlia, originating 

 in Salem County, New Jersey, from seed of Mrs. Hawkins, and 

 now very popular for cutting — very delicate pink, full double, 

 rather large, resembling a Water-lily in form ; Mrs. Hawkins, 

 like Nymphaea in shape and size, but with a light yellow centre 

 and pmk border ; Miss Penne Baker, a novelty of Mr. Pea- 

 cock's, rose-pink, with flesh centre, ball-shaped, very delicate 

 and handsome ; Madame Moreau, a very large pink-red, ball- 

 shaped Dahlia of most regular size, and one of the best for cut 

 flowers ; Pluton, perhaps the best clear self-yellow globular 

 Dahlia, excellent for cutting ; Penelope, good for cutting, ball 

 type, white, tipped lavender, excellent. Among the Pompons, 

 the leading ones were Klein Domatia, a very free bloomer, 

 pale salmon ; Fairy Tales, pale primrose, very free bloomer, 

 probably the earliest variety ; Aillet's Imperial, pinkish while, 

 tipped with deep pink purple; Sprig, one of Peacock's, rich 

 buff, tipped deep pink ; Little Prince, very early, tall, the flow- 

 ers of perfect shape, but variable in color ; Alba imbricata, one 

 of the best of this class, while, free bloomer. Of the large- 

 flowered dwarfs suitable for bedding, Souvenir de Solferino 

 attracted attention. It reaches a height of only eighteen or 

 twenty inches, and covers itself with great dark red flowers. 

 Other good varieties for cut flowers are Lucy Fawcett, straw- 

 colored, striped light red ; Princesse Bonne, clear yellow, 

 tipped creamy white ; Keystone, variegated ; Mrs. Langtry, 

 yellow, and tipped pink in the centre, outer florets darker. 

 The interest in Dahlias in this country is very small. This 



arises partly from the fact that no firm has systematically 

 pushed the newer varieties, some of which possess uncom- 

 mon attractiveness. A generation and more ago the Dahlia 

 was one of the best-known and most-prized of all garden- 

 plants, and in the rural districts in New York and Pennsyl- 

 vania one may still trace the effects of this early popularity in 

 the general interest which country folk take in the plant. But 

 these varieties which one sees in old yards are mostly of one 

 type, although they may vary widely in color. They represent 

 the old ball-shaped Dahlias, with perfectly regular and funnel- 

 like florets. There is no more striking example of Ihe ten- 

 dency of modern taste toward freedom and irregularity of 

 outline than is seen in the Dahlia, and this is one of the very 

 points which this new society can present to the public. The 

 Dahlia will always remain a favorite flower with those persons 

 who like to grow their own plants, because it can be had in 

 perfection without artificial heat, and the season of bloom 

 may easily be extended from June until frost. The named 

 varieties are numerous and of many diverse kinds. The 

 plant, therefore, is one which is worthy of more general atten- 

 tion in this country. 



Something like 2,000 named varieties of Dahlias are now 

 known in Europe, where the plant is much prized. In this 

 country the largest single collection is probably that of Law- 

 rence Peacock, who has about 600 varieties this year. A. 

 Blanc has six acres of Dahlias this year, comprising some 

 hundreds of varieties. Other important growers are William 

 Bassett & Son, Hammonton, New Jersey, and W. Wilmore, 

 Denver, Colorado. Within a year or two, however, there will 

 undoubtedly be many large growers interested in the Dahlia, 

 for it is rapidly emerging from its long obscurity. 



Cornell University. L. H. Bailey. 



Recent Publications. 



Game Birds al Home. By Theodore S. Van Dyke. Nevi' 

 York : Fords, Howard & Hulbert. 



One may feel inclined to question the accuracy of Mr. 

 Van Dyke's statement in his preface to this pleasant little 

 book that to the majority of sportsmen the love of nature 

 is the principal element in the love of hunting. There can 

 be no doubt, however, that many readers who do not 

 aspire to be called sportsmen will find the easy, unaffected 

 descriptions of the homes of the game birds — that is, the 

 natural scenery through which the sportsman wanders — 

 the most alluring feature of the book. One who reads 

 these descriptions of the haunts of a dozen of our game 

 birds is led among timbered hills, through the tall grasses 

 of endless prairies, the grim Cactus-fields of the west, the 

 Manzanita thickets of California, the southern river-bottoms 

 fragrant with purpling Fox Grapes, the seashores and in- 

 land lakes and sloughs frequented by the water-birds. 

 There is no attempt at fine writing ; none of those melan- 

 choly and painfully wrought word-pictures of scenes that 

 never existed ; but, in their stead, suggestive and illu- 

 minating phrases dropped here and there which kindle the 

 imagination, so that the reader cannot help filling out the 

 picture from the stores of his own experience, enabling 

 him to see over again in the mellow light of memor)' 

 scenes that have left their impressions on his mind, and 

 which he is only too happy to recall. As we read of hoar- 

 frosts sparkling on buckwheat stubble, all the pomp and 

 pathos of an American autumn passes at once before our 

 eyes. The gleaming of Blood-root blossoms above sodden 

 leaves, the wavering checkers of light upon the forest floor, 

 the brook which gleams through groves of Wild Plum, 

 Crab Apple and Hawthorn, orchard-like groups of Bur 

 Oaks on prairie swells, the ghostly arms of dead Cotton- 

 woods on the b^nks of broad rivers — touches like these all 

 genuine, all typical of scenes or seasons, revivify old im- 

 pressions of outdoor beauty and outdoor life that we have 

 at some time enjoyed. Of course, all this is but an at- 

 mosphere, and yet it lends charm to the story of the birds, 

 and makes more vivid and real the fascinating accounts of 

 their appearance and behavior, which is evidently Mr. 

 Van Dyke's chief joy as a sportsman. No doubt, the 

 expert hunter may find here hints to help him in his pur- 

 suit of game, but the author need not have told us that, 

 although the book was written for sportsmen, it was 



