The Garden Magazine, December, 1921 



195 



The extensive testing of varieties carried on at the Experiment 

 Station at Geneva, N. Y., by F. H. Hall also deserves our grati- 

 tude as Mr. Hall worked out the classification at present in use 

 in this country, and began the indexing of variety names. The 

 booklets on Dahlias by Wilmore and Peacock — both pioneers 

 of modern Dahlia culture, and still in the field — about complete 



the list of leading modern American works on this flower. Mrs. 

 Stout, of Short Hills, N. J., now has in the press a compre- 

 hensive volume on the Dahlia. Of magazines that have 

 lent valuable assistance in their pages to Dahlia culture, The 

 Garden Magazine itself has taken the leading part through 

 out its life. 



II. THE DAHLIA'S APOTHEOSIS IN THE SUNSET STATE 



ELIZABETH LYMBERY 



STORY of the Dahlia in California must be full of per- 

 sonalities — it must be nearly all personalities, for it is 

 a history of a few enthusiastic people who in the past 

 foresaw the possibilities of this stunning flower; they 

 dreamed and they worked. 



We in California think we lead the world in new introductions. 

 On the whole our heads may be a little enlarged ; but the East is 

 featuring in catalogues and shows all the best this state pro- 

 duces. The most honest of us must admit that soil and climate 

 have helped us materially. Our growing season is long, extend- 

 ing from March to December, and there are often blooms for the 

 Christmas table. There are no summer rains to spoil the seeds. 

 Before the Federal Horticultural Board prevented the import- 

 ing of foreign roots, the California growers spent their money 

 generously in Great Britain, France, Holland, and Germany for 

 new varieties. There was a friendly rivalry and every fellow 

 wanted the best. 



Probably the earliest professional grower in the field was the 

 late Mr. E. Leedham of Santa Cruz. He began importing from 

 Scotland more than twenty years ago and grew some of the first 

 Cactus Dahlias in this state. Dahlias hitherto were all of the 

 formal Show type. Mr. Leedham crossed the Show and Cactus 

 and the result was excellent Decoratives, notable among them 

 were: Santa Cruz, Bessie Boston, and Mrs. Alexander which are 

 still being listed in the catalogues. 



Perhaps the next man in the field was Mr. J. J. Broomallof 

 Eagle Rock, Los Angeles. Mr. Broomall is the dean of the 

 living growers and his seedlings are famous. 



Then came Leslie E. Doolittle, who started in a small way 

 in San Jose and gradually branched out and established the Del 

 Monte Dahlia Gardens. 



Mr. C. S. Quick of Berkeley devoted much time to Dahlias 

 and after covering himself with glory went into another line of 

 business. 



Frank Pelicano, a San Francisco florist, fell in love with this 

 colorful blossom and his window displays were most educa- 

 tional. 



Richard Lohrmann of San Rafael gave a corner of his nursery 

 field to them and his early introductions, as well as later ones, 

 are most popular. 



These were the growers of ten years ago when the writer 

 arrived on the scene with her wizard co-worker, Osam Shu- 

 dow, who, until his last hours, watched the destiny of the 

 Farm. 



THE Dahlia boom started at the Panama Pacific Interna- 

 tional Exposition in 1915. The grounds were aflame with 

 this autumn glory, and the Horticultural Gardens contained little 

 else but growing exhibits of the flower. There were also attrac- 

 tive tables of cut blooms in many of the buildings. 



Two shows in the Horticultural Hall drew immense crowds. 

 The first was given under the auspices of the California State 

 Floral Society. This organization has held an annual compli- 

 mentary Dahlia show for more than twenty years and has done 

 more than its share to keep the public interested in the flower. 

 The second exhibit was a National Flower Show staged by the 



AS THE DAHLIAS 



GROW AT DEL 



MONTE, CAL. 



