32 



THE SCHOOL GARDEN BOOK 



are hundreds of beautiful named varieties to-day, ^'arying 

 greatly in color, and very soon we may expect a flower which 

 is extremely desirable for many purposes. At present most 

 of the Cactus Dahlias do not last long as cut flowers; but 

 this quality is being improved, and the flowers are so beau- 

 tiful for interior decora- 

 tion as well as for garden 

 adornment that one can 

 afford to renew a supply 

 in the flower jars at fre- 

 quent intervals. 



The Decorative Dahlia 

 is another recently de- 

 veloped and very desira- 

 ble type. It has very 

 large, loosely formed blos- 

 soms, with broad petals, 

 of a type somewhat in- 

 termediate between the 

 Show and CactusDahlias. 

 While the Decorative 

 Dahlias have not the 



bizarre beauty of form Decorative DahUa: Mrs. Winters. 



shown by the cactus sorts, they are, nevertheless, attractive in 

 a quiet way, and are useful for cutting as well as for the border 

 garden. Although it has frequently been predicted that they 

 would go out of cultivation in competition with the cactus 

 forms, many new and beautiful varieties are introduced every 

 year, and the catalogues continue to give long hsts of sorts, 

 an indication that they are holding their own in popular 

 favor. 



