LUTHER BURBANK 



With all its attractive qualities, the dahlia is 

 not quite a perfect flower because it lacks fra- 

 grance. 



This defect also I have sought to remedy, and 

 as regards the mere matter of production of a 

 fragrant dahlia, have been entirely successful. 

 Unfortunately the new fragrant races have not 

 hitherto combined odoriferousness with the quali- 

 ties of size and form and color that enable them 

 to compete with the best standard varieties. Still, 

 enough has been done to show that with fiu*ther 

 effort the dahlia may be given a perfimae that will 

 greatly enhance its attractiveness. 



Races of Fragrant Dahlias 



In endeavoring to develop a race of fragrant 

 dahlias I followed the same rules of selection that 

 have been repeatedly outlined. 



The first thing was to find an individual that 

 revealed even the faintest pleasing aroma. In 

 general, dahlias have either no odor, or a slightly 

 disagreeable one. The tribe of composite flowers 

 to which the dahlia belongs depends as a rule upon 

 the conspicuous floral envelope to attract the pol- 

 lenizing insects, and has not developed fragrance. 



But it is probably true with regard to fragrance 

 as with regard to combinations of colors that there 

 are unrevealed hereditary factors in the germ 

 plasm of almost every flower. The production of 



[218] 



