xxaj:i rnjjju UVJUJV 



DAHLI 



the plants having a compact habit of 

 growth. 



3. Show Dahlias. — These include 

 (i.) all self-coloured ; (ii.) all shaded 

 flowers ; and (Lii.) all flowers having 

 petals of a pale ground colour, edged 

 with deeper pink, rose, mauve, purple, 

 crimson, maroon, etc. The flower- 

 heads are usually very large and 

 double, and symmetrical in outline. 



4. Fancy Dahlias. — These are 

 simply large, rounded, Show Dahlias 

 having two or more colours, the 

 colour at the tip of the petal being 

 much paler than the ground colour. 

 Striped flowers, no matter what the 

 ground colour may be, are always 

 regarded as Fancy Dahlias. Ama- 

 teurs frequently confuse " Fancy '' 

 Dahlias with " Show" Dahlias. 



5. Cactus Dahlias. — Springing 

 originally from D. Juarezi (see above), 

 these varieties have simply taken 

 plant-lovers by storm of late years, 

 owing to their beautiful forms, mag- 

 nificent colours, and the shape, varia- 

 tion, and regularity of their radiating 

 petals, which are more or less pointed 

 and twisted. The range of colour 

 is probably gi'eater in the Cactus 

 Dahlias than in any other section, 

 almost every shade being represented 

 except blue. Whites, reds, scarlets, 

 crimsons, purples, yeUows, pinks, 

 mauves, orange, salmon, rose, apricot, 

 etc., etc., are to be found almost pure, 

 or in conjunction with innumerable 

 intermediate shades. 



6. Paeony-flowered Dahlias. — This 

 is a modern section, remarkable for the 

 great size of the flower-heads, these 

 often being as much as 9 ins. across. 

 They are semi-double in character, 

 the individual florets being broad and 

 wavy, the centre being composed 

 largely of yellow tubular florets. The 

 flower-stalks are long and strong, and 

 carry the blooms well above the 

 foliage. At first there was a tendency 



191 



amongst these Pseony flowers 

 Dahlias to become rather "floppy 

 looking and drooping, but the mo 

 recent creations incline one to tl 

 opinion that this undesirable tenden( 

 will be overcome in the course 

 time. 



7. Giant-flowered Dahlias. — This 

 another modern group remarkable f 

 the great size of their double flowe 

 heads, the florets of which are wid 

 flattish, or reflexed. There are n 

 many forms of a fixed character 

 present, perhaps one of the best beii 

 Souvenir de G. Douzon, which h 

 an immense reddish - scarlet blooi 

 Others are Jeanne Charmet, lilac-pii 

 shading to pure white in the centr 

 Le Colosse, huge, red ; Mdlle j 

 Charvet, pure white ; Madame vt 

 den Dael, silvery pink ; Perle de 

 Tete d'or, large, white ; Yellow Colas 

 bright yellow ; etc. 



As hundreds of new forms a 

 raised by specialists every year, ai 

 as many of the older favourites dr 

 out of cultivation owing to the inti 

 duction of new ones, it would be m« 

 waste of space giving a list of variet: 

 in each of the sections here, as th 

 would soon be out-of-date. The b( 

 and simplest plan for the Dahl 

 lover is to consult the lists of nursei 

 men every spring, and make a self 

 tion from them. Another good pi 

 is to visit the Dahlia - growers 

 August and September to see t 

 plants growing naturally. In tl 

 way it will be easy to note the varieti 

 that throw their flowers well abo 

 the foliage, and thus give a mc 

 brilliant aspect to the garden thi 

 those shy -blooming varieties that hi 

 their blossoms amongst the leaves. 



Culture. — Perhaps there is i 

 exotic so easily grown as the Dahlia 

 that is, leaving out such species as . 

 arborea, D. excelsa, D. imperial 

 which can only be brought to perft 



