DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERS. 179 
tion; it is no longer a novelty; they are satiated, and it is 
discarded for some new favorite, to be in its turn set up 
and adored as the We plus ultra of all that is lovely and 
. desirable. One of this class, that has had its day, is the 
Dahlia, which must now stand in the back ground, and 
give precedence to the lovely Verbena and the gorgeous 
Gladiolus. In the first edition of the “ Book of Flowers,” 
I confess I was rather too severe upon the Dahlia; I have 
been criticized and censured by some friends, for the man- 
ner in which this once fashionable flower was disparaged. 
There was, however, some reason why a little ill-feeling 
should be expressed, when speaking of a flower that had 
given me more than usual vexation and disappointment, 
besides that of the ill success which, in some seasons, I had 
experienced in its cultivation. I am almost ashamed to 
speak of my folly, in a transaction which took place a 
quarter of a century ago, in connection with this flower, 
from which the reader may well imagine the reason why I 
should have manifested a little spite in my description 
of it. A proposition was made to me by a celebrated and 
wealthy: florist, to join him in importing from England an 
invoice of. choice, new, high-priced seedling Dahlias, with 
the understanding, that I was to. pay one-quarter’ of the 
expense, and receive as my share one plant each of all the 
varieties thus obtained. So we sat down and looked over 
some florists’ catalogues of new Dahlias, in which was at- 
tached to each variety a glowing description of its pecu- 
liar merits and beauty, with its price, which by the way 
was anything but moderate. But they were mew and 
Sashionable, and must be obtained, notwithstanding the 
high prices. So a list was made out of such varieties as 
were supposed to be the finest. As one to ten guineas a 
plant was considered rather extravagant, a few only of 
this class were ordered; but some latitude was given to 
the florist, which he took advantage of, and to our surprise, 
