246 THE PLEASURE GROUND. 



kept up by the Anemone, Tulip, Crocus, and other 

 early blooming sorts ; and is continued through the 

 Summer months, by having recourse to frequent 

 sowings of annuals from February, to the end of 

 June ; the kinds best adapted for Autumn flowering, 

 are selected for the last sowings, which, together 

 with the late blowing perennial kinds, Chrysanthe- 

 mums, and a collection of Georginas,* or Dahlias, 



* For the introduction into this country of this truly emi- 

 nent and popular plant, whose beautiful blossoms so richly deco- 

 rate the flower borders in the Autumn months, the British Horti- 

 culturists are indebted to Lady Holland; and, through her Lady- 

 ship's kindness, we are enabled to give the following interesting 

 account of its native country, and the year it was introduced 

 into our British Gardens. 



In 1804, when Lord and Lady Holland were in Spain, the 

 Abbe Cavanilles, Professor of Botany at Madrid, who had pub- 

 lished 2 Volumes on Statistics, and the Natural History of Va- 

 lencia, besides several Botanical works, gave Lady Holland 

 some roots of the Dahlia, lately arrived in Spain from America ; 

 her Ladyship sent them to Mr. Buonauti, the Librarian at Hol- 

 land House ; under his superintendence they were planted, and 

 flowered that year, in the gardens there. Mr. Buonauti made 

 some mystery, for a time, of his manner of propagating them ; 

 but Lord Holland insisted upon his giving roots of the plants 

 to Messrs. Lee and Kennedy, and others ; they then became 

 very common, and were much improved by culture. Lady Hol- 

 land was not, at first, aware that the colours of the flowers ever 

 varied ; for those raised the first year, were all of a pale purple, 

 or lilac hue, and all single flowers ; the next year, many, of va- 

 rious colours, were produced at Holland House, and at St. Anne's 

 Hill ;f and it was not long before Messrs. Lee and Kennedy 

 found the means of raising double flowers from those roots. It 

 is supposed that it originally came from Mexico, not Peru. 



They were named Dahlia, from the Swedish Professor Dahl, 

 t The Seat of the Right Honourable C. J. Fox. 



