HISTORICAL. 
The Dahlia is a native of Central America and Southern Mexico, where it grows 
wild upon the meadows and table lands to an altitude of 1 0,000 feet. 
The name Dahlia is derived from Dr. Dahl, a Swedish botanist, but for a time was 
known under the name of Georgina, after Professor George, of St. Petersburg. It also 
has the early Spanish name of Acoctli. 
The earliest known history of the Dahlia is not yet very old. About the year 1657, 
F rancisco Hernandez, a Spanish Physician, wrote a book on plants, and among the plants 
described, he mentions Dahlia variabilis, a species from which most, if not all, of our pres- 
ent varieties have originated. At that time, it is probable that it was only known as one 
of the great multitude of botanical plants, without much, if any, thought of its future use- 
fulness, for we find nothing further in print for i 30 years. It is quite probable however, 
that some effort was made to improve and domesticate the plant towards the close of 
the eighteenth Century, for in I 787. Nicholas Joseph Thirerry de Menonville, a French- 
man, published an account of the Dahlias he had seen growing in the gardens of Mexico. 
Two years later, 1 789, seeds were sent from the Botanic Gardens of Mexico, to the 
Royal Gardens of Madrid, Spain, where it was given its present name. This lot of seed- 
lings was lost two years later as were several other lots sent to various places. But their 
stay, though brief, awakened a deep interest in the plant and its possibilities, and further 
attempts at its cultivation were made in several European countries, and it soon became 
quite popular. The work bestowed upon it, however, seems to be more in the nature of a 
fad, rather than intelligent study. Difficulty seems to have been encountered also in 
knowing how to keep the roots over to the next season. 
It should be borne in mind that up to this time, all the varieties were single, the 
variegated and striped varieties leading in popular favor. 
The history of the first double form is told as follows : 
Mr. Donkelaar, of Louvian, began a series of experiments with northern-grown 
seed in 1812. His first crop of seedlings were still quite single, but seed saved from 
these, gave him some semi-double flowers in 1813, and seed saved from these again, gave 
fully double flowers in 1814, the third generation of the northern-grown seed. These 
varieties continued to produce double flowers, and the Dahlia now became immensely 
popular. 
The question natrally arises here: How should northern grown seed produce double 
flowers? A theory gives this answer: Nature always alert to perpetuate itself, throws 
out extra petals to protect the tender seed from the chill of the northern atmosphere. Be 
this true or not, certain it is that double varieties show a decided tendency in warm cli- 
mates to become semi-double, and single varieties in the North are hard to keep in true 
form. 
The first Cactus Dahha originated in 1872, but was not placed on the market until 
1880. It seems to have been a chance seedling, but may be a separate species. The 
original specimen was a bright scarlet of fine form, but very short stem. It was never- 
theless, a very welcome addition. It was introduced under the name of Juarezi, after 
President Juarez of Mexico, and is still listed in some of the catalogues. From this 
chance plant there has descended a mighty troop that has held the center of the Dahlia 
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