860 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



May 4, 1912. 



P^EONY^FLOWERED DAHLIAS. 



As eaoh suoceeding year se^s the intro- 

 duction of new varieties of the peeony- 

 flowered dahlias so does their popularity 

 increase for garden decoration. One old 

 florist, famous as a grower of the cactus 

 section, was overheard to remark, when the 

 pgeony-flowered dahlias were first intro- 

 duced from Holland, that they threw seed- 

 lings with hetter flowers on the rubhish 

 heap when he was a boy. There were some 

 growers in this country, however, who saw 

 possibilities in those first flowers exhibited at 

 the EarVs Court DahUa Show, and several 

 succeeding exhibitions. I ntil a compara- 

 tively recent data the National Dahlia So- 

 ciety have devoted their efforts principally 

 to the enconratroment of varieties with ex- 

 hibition blooms. There are some among the 

 officers and members, however, who realise 



distinct and varied selection of varieties 

 of proved merit: Baron G. de Grancy, 

 creamy-white ; Bertha von Suttner, salmon- 

 pink shaded yellow; Dr. K. W. van 

 Gorkom, white, shaded rose; Duke Henry, 

 reddish-crimson; Geisha, yellow, suffused 

 with rose ; Germania, crimson-scarlet, 

 shaded jellow ; Glory of Baarn, soft pink ; 

 H\igo de Vries, orange-brown ; King Leo- 

 pold pale yellow, tall in growth ; MerveiUe, 

 orange-yellow ; Queen AVilhelmina, pure 

 white; and Titian, rich rose. 



A. Osborne. 



SMALLER'GROWING 



CYRTANTHUS. 



Some of the species of cyrtanthus, such 

 as C. obliquus, have large bulbs, and, as 

 a rule, they do not flower very freely; but. 



THE CENTURY PLANT* 



As a consequence of the large specimen 

 of Agave atrovirens in the Kew collection 

 having reached the flowering stage, muck 

 has been written during the past few 

 weeks about the so-called Century Plant. 

 Judging from the articles and paragraphs 

 that have come under our notice, the 

 majority of the writers regard themselveg 

 as authorities on the subject, although evi- 

 dently very few are acquainted with the 

 fact that there is more than one agave 

 popularly known under that name. 



The species that is ^generally known is A. 

 americana, which, according to tradition, 

 was introduced to Europe about the middle 

 of the sixteenth century, and first flowered 

 in England at Hampton Court in 1714. 

 Whether the flowering of this specimen 

 created much interest is not at the present 



C.M (36 



AN EFFECTIVE AREANGEMENT OF P^ONY-FLOWERED DAHLIAS AT KEW. 



that if the dahlia is to continue to find 



varieties 



aboA'C the 



favour for garden decoration, 

 which push the blooms well 

 foliage on long stiff stalks miist be grown. 



No section has made more rapid strides 

 than the p^ony-flowerecl dahha to meet 

 the demand of the gardener, professional 

 and amateur, for free-flowermg varieties 

 for garden decoration and cutting. With 

 their long flower stalks and freedom ot 

 flowering this type is very effective The 

 blooms are semi-double, varying in torm, 

 some of the varieties having blooms nine 

 inches across. Being vigorous in growth, 

 a few plants may find a place in the her- 

 baceous or mixed borders while they are 

 especially adapted for large beds and bor- 

 ders in the pleasure grounds. Yet another 

 place for these stately dahlias is among 

 shrubs where they will, as most of the 

 varieties are tall, brighten up the shrub- 

 bery borders in autumn. 



The following twelve varieties comprise a 



is 



on the other hand, several kinds are com- 

 paratively small growers, and flower with 

 considerable freedom. Among the members 

 of this group are Cyrtanthus angustifolius, 

 C, McKcni, C. Macowani, and C. lutescens. 

 l4ie bulbs of all these arc small, and from 

 them are pushed up grass-like leaves a foot 

 or so in length. Tlie erect flower scape, 

 which also reaches a height of about a foot, 

 terminated by an uml>el of tubular-shaped, 

 curved blossoms. In C. augustifolius they 

 are of an orange-scarlet colour,* in C. McKeni 

 white, C. Macowani crimson, and in C. lutes- 

 cens pale yellow. These bulbs require ordi- 

 nary greenhouse treatment. 'Iliey should 

 be potted in a soil mainly consisting of loam 

 and sand, as in this they do not need fre- 

 quent repotting. If kept moderately dry 

 during the winter the plants will in spring, 

 with additional warmth and more moisture, 

 quickly push up their flower spikes, and 

 when in bloom they are exceedingly pretty. 

 More than this, the flowering season is not 

 limited to the spring months, as blossoms 

 are produced at all seasons. K.. 



the 



time quite clear, but whatever may li^ 

 l>een the amount of interest shown in tn 

 development of the stately flower stem an 

 - production of the huge pamd^^^ 

 flowers it must have been more oi 

 local Ifor there were then no means j 

 whii'ii information relating to episodes 



plant life could be readily ^^^ss^^^'^f^as 

 That a considerable amount of mteresi 

 evinced in this species for many years s ^ 

 sequent to it having become kno^n 



science, there can . ^fVf^^^ 



Martins^ Flora Brasiliensis htty " 

 are mentioned in which reference was u 

 to it between 1554 and 1748. ine l 

 lias long been widelv distribute<l ui gai 

 and at one time it enjoyed ^^^i^^^' j. 



popularity for placing in Pi'^^^^^^^.^fmer 

 tions on terraces during the 

 months. The handsome variegated 



known as A. americana ^''^''i^&^^^^./'f^/tlw! 

 enjoyed considerable popularity both roi 



terrace and conservatory. 



