ON florists' flowers. 



63 



advance, during the last decade or two, in the improvement of 

 the DahHa. By careful cross-fertilisation and judicious selection, 

 improvement has been continuous. The reputed parent of the 

 garden varieties is Dahlia variabilis^ discovered in 1789, and 

 named in honour of Dahl, a Swedish pupil of Linnaeus. It 

 first found its way into England through Lady Holland, who 

 sent seeds of it from Spain ; plants were raised from these seeds, 

 and flowered in the gardens at Holland House in 1805. The 

 first double flowers were produced four or five years subsequently. 

 By referring to the gardening books published early in the 

 century we find that in 18 14 the Dahlia was extensively 

 cultivated, and considerable improvement began to be effected. 

 Twenty years later, on March ist, 1833, the first number 

 of the Floricultiiral Cabinet came out, and the first coloured 

 plate published that month was of a new Dahlia — Commander 

 in Chief. The coloured plates in this cheap publication were of 

 poor quality, but it shows a flower quite double, of a deep reddish 

 colour, and reflexed petals. The first really good double Dahlia 

 was raised in 1832 by a Mr. Line, at Springfield, near Bromley, 

 in Kent, and was sent out by Mr. Inwood, of Putney Heath, 

 under the name of Springfield Rival. 



At this time Dahlia exhibitions were organised near London, 

 and the fame of the Dahlia spread all over the country. With 

 the demand for new Dahlias, raisers of seedlings abounded. The 

 most successful amongst them was the late Mr. John Keynes, 

 of Salisbury. He was fortunate, he says, in raising a fine variety 

 with flowers approaching to blue, which he sold to a Mr. Mountjoy, 

 for ^50. Mr. Keynes adds: "Since that time (about 1840) I 

 have never ceased to grow seedlings, and I am free to confess 

 that the great charm of floriculture would be dispelled, if I had 

 no seedlings to anticipate." He adds the following practical 

 remarks: "I leave my flowers pretty much to themselves until 

 about September 15th, making it a rule never to cut any plants 

 for show, when I would sacrifice seed by so doing. About that 

 date I cut the plants to scarecrows, leaving only the few flowers 

 that may be coming into blossom, and these produce seed in 

 abundance. I sow my seed about March loth, taking care that 

 the pans containing the soil are placed in heat a day or two 

 previously. Good seed is generally very thin. I care little for a 

 plump seed." The seed sown in spring will produce plants that 

 will flower in the open border the same season. The work so 

 well begun by Mr. John Keynes, was carried on by other 



