MAY. 



65 



POMPON DAHLIAS. 



WITH AN ILLUSTRATION". 



Within the last year or two there has appeared in our gardens a race of 

 Dahlias which have heen variously designated Bouquet Dahlias, Liliputians, 

 and Pompons, They are quite distinct both in character and in adaptation 

 from the show varieties as well as the bedding varieties seen at the present 

 day. They approach, indeed, most nearly to the best show varieties in respect 

 to symmetry of form, but they differ obviously in their more siender habit, and 

 the smaller size of the flower-heads, which average only 2, and scarcely 

 ever exceed 2^- inches across. Liliputians they are not. properly speaking, 

 for, though some are dwarfs in stature, others are giants ; and as for bouquets, 

 though they may be very well used in this cut form in vases and larger 

 flower-stands, yet Dahlias are but unsavoury subjects after all, not quite 

 falling in with one's notions of what is desirable for an in-door flower. So 

 we come to prefer the name of Pompons for the group which is very fairly 

 represented by the two figures in our plate. One of the varieties we have 

 selected for illustration {fig. 1), with bright orange yellow flowers tipped with 

 vermilion red, is called Stau ; and the other {fig. 2), with the flowers of a 

 deep purplish-rose, is called Little Dorrit. Both of them fall amongst the 

 free-blooming and moderate-growing section of Pompons, reaching the height 

 of some 3^- to 4 feet, and having the capitules or flower-heads, commonly 

 called "flowers" or " blooms," a trifle over 2 inches in diameter. 



This Pompon group of Dahlias is, we imagine, to be valued chiefly as 

 furnishing a series of useful and elegant garden flowers — useful, that is, in a 

 decorative point of view, and not interfering in the least with any of the objects 

 for which other classes of Dahlias are grown, and elegant in every sense of the 

 word in respect to habit and inflorescence. The principal fault to be found is, 

 that too many of the varieties are tall growers, reaching to 5 or 6 feet in 

 height ; but a considerable number of them average about 4 feet, and a few 

 are dwarfer still. They have already symmetry of form, and varied and 

 brilliant colours. To these qualities more perfect dwarfness has to be added, 

 and there can be no doubt it will one day be secured. Let but such flowers 

 as we now possess, produced in the same profusion and of the same rich and 

 varied hues, be borne on plants of from 2 to 2£ feet in height, and we shall 

 have in the Pompon Dahlia a charming plant for the decoration of the flower 

 garden through the autumnal months, and for pot culture as exhibition plants. 



The most desirable of the varieties we as yet possess are undoubtedly those 

 which form a fine spreading head of long-stalked <f blooms," and some of the 

 dwarfer of them are beautiful pictures when in perfection. Those which are 

 of stiffer habit, with short-stalked flowers, should be rejected. The group 

 already embraces considerable variety besides that of colour, for in some of 

 the sorts the florets are regularly cupped and " shell-like," as in those of the 

 best show flowers, while in others the florets are openly quilled and arranged 

 in close concentric circles, and in others again they are involutely pointed. 

 The taller plants are suitable for shrubberies, or for placing as single plants in 

 the centre of flower-beds, while from their freely-branching growth they are 

 capable of furnishing an abundant supply of cut flowers or even of cut branches 

 for large groups of flowers in entrance-halls and other places where large 

 bouquets are admissible. As pot plants, to give variety to our autumn exhibi- 

 tions, we imagine the dwarf sorts we already possess will be extremely useful. 



We are indebted to the Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son, of St. John's 

 Wood, for the varieties represented in our plate, and to both these gentlemen and 

 vol. i. v 



