314 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
possibility of Lady Bute, wife of John, third Earl of Bute, being the 
introducer at all, and also the likelihood of Viscountess Mountstuart 
being the introducer in the year claimed by the " Hortus Kewensis " 
and subsequent authorities. The Viscountess Mountstuart and her 
husband were absent from Madrid for the twelve years between 1783 
and 1795, unless it is assumed that they made occasional visits there 
in the interval. It is more than probable that, owing to the death of 
his father in 1792 and of his mother in 1794, Viscount Mountstuart 
had enough to do at home with the settlement of his family affairs and 
his accession to the earldom. 
Here, it is submitted, is strong evidence that the "Hortus 
Kewensis," in giving the title of the lady and the year 1789 as the 
date, is no longer to be regarded as a trustworthy authority on the 
question in dispute. Between 1789 and 1813, the date of publication 
of the " Hortus Kewensis," there is a lapse of twenty-four years, and 
in that interval there is no other independent authority to corroborate 
the brief mention it makes. 
This official information was a source of great encouragement ; it 
showed quite clearly that Lady Bute's introduction of the Dahlia must 
have occurred at some date subsequent to the one so generally and so 
erroneously given. But there still remained the question how that 
date could be definitely fixed. 
In an earlier part of this paper reference was made to the Dahlia 
having been sent to Kew. If this were so, it seemed reasonable that 
the authorities there might have some record of the fact. I therefore 
addressed a communication to the Director, briefly stating the object 
of my inquiry and asking whether there was any record there of the 
Dahlia being grown at Kew in 1789 ; if so, who was the introducer and 
the names of the varieties. 
The reply received illuminates the whole story, and is finally con- 
clusive. There can henceforth be not the shadow of a doubt, and 
future Dahlia historians will be compelled to discard the old story so 
long unchallenged. 
The Director very kindly says : " There are a few early record-books 
at Kew mainly dealing with exchanges of plants and seeds, and in 
the earliest of these, dated 1793-1809, there is evidence that between 
1796 and 1799 plants (or seeds) were obtained for Kew, usually from 
Dr. Ortega, who was Director of the Botanic Garden, Madrid, from 
1771-1801, by Lady Bute (sometimes styled Countess of Bute or 
Marchioness of Bute). Included amongst the documents relating to 
Lady Bute is a ' List of plants in the Hort. Madrid, wanted for Kew 
Gardens/ and marked in Lady Bute's book 1798." 
In this list there are three Dahlias " (coccinea, pinnata, and 
rosea)," Cavanilles' own varieties, be it remembered, and the same 
ones as are shown in the dried specimens at the Natural History 
Museum, marked " C. G. Ortega (Lady Bute)." 
"There is nothing to show," says the Director, "whether the 
plants were actually received ; it may be safely assumed, from the 
