476 
NOTES ON THE DAHLIA. 
move them. The cottagers' productions at 
both of these exhibitions, were highly credit- 
able. September will hardly close the dahlia 
shows this year, ; for the Birmingham central 
exhibition, which will occupy all attention till 
the 27th, throws the Slough, which is the 
finishing one, over to the 2d of October. 
Dahlia showers, therefore, are praying for 
the continued absence of frost. After this 
goes to press, we shall have the Shacklewell, 
the two days at Birmingham, and several 
smaller ones to attend, before our notes on all 
the new dahlias can be made; and we hope 
we shall see six flowers of anything worth 
growing. If dahlias are to be grown again, 
the show must be for dahlias alone, and under 
the control of the trade alone. Another show 
in the mixed way, like the last at the Surrey 
Gardens, and the trade may leave off raising. 
NOTES ON DAHLIAS OF 1849. 
BY GEORGE GLENNT. 
Although the exhibition of three blooms 
of dahlias instead of six has been persisted 
in at some of the floral Societies, and especi- 
ally where the whole and sole object seems to 
be temporary gain at the expense of a perma- 
nent loss of confidence, we have been able to 
note a few dahlias, that will find a place in 
our annual descriptive list. But we earnestly 
beg of the dahlia growers to refuse showing 
proved flowers at all, unless six be the lowest 
number exhibited ; for there can be no con- 
fidence in the certainty of a flower that will 
not, in the year of proving, yield that number 
a dozen times over. On referring to our last 
year's notes, we find, that considering there 
were but three flowers to judge by, we have 
been singularly accurate. The Beauty of 
Hastings turns out a beautiful but uncertain 
flower. It was one in the second stand of 
twenty-two exhibited at one place, and greatly 
added to the effect ; but in a general way, it 
has a hard eye, which evidently does not 
come up well till late in the season. Of this 
flower, we said last year — 
" If there be a first-rate novelty, it will be 
found in the Beauty of Hastings, the form of 
Radziwill, but small. The Societies, how- 
ever, having departed from our rule of show- 
ing six blooms of the seedlings grown for 
proving — that is, the second year — thei's is 
but little dependence even on those we have 
seen." 
Then follow our descriptions of a few that 
we thought there was a chance of growing, 
selected from something like a hundred aild 
fifty, comprising the veriest rubbish that ever 
discredited a show, and disgusting more people 
with the flower than ever abandoned it before 
in any three seasons. Always bearing in 
mind that we protest against the certainty in 
judging of three blooms, we gave the follow- 
ing report, for the guidance of our readers, in 
the annual list in our almanac ; and we call 
attention to the fact, because it has become 
evident to the growers for sale, that con- 
fidence in newspaper accounts, and catalogue 
descriptions, is on the wane, and that although 
there are more dahlia shows than ever, there 
are fewer buyers. People have been so often 
disappointed with new flowers, that hundreds 
who used to purchase the year they came out, 
wait till the season afterwards, and buy at 
one tenth of the price. 
Beauty of Hastings. — Form of Princess 
Radziwill ; good in every point, but reflexing, 
like its prototype ; colour white, edged with 
crimson rose, and size as shown, under 
average. 
Mr. Seldon. — A noble purple ; round and 
symmetrical, but eye confused, and rather fltJt. 
NuNLEY Hero. — Shaded crimson ; good 
outline, general good form, common average 
eye, but well up. 
Fearless. — Slaty lilac — in that point 
novel ; round outline, pretty good face, gene- 
rally symmetrical and double, and good form. 
Duchess. — White, apparently certain ; 
good outline, very double, but not symmetrical 
on the face and eye ; many blooms shown. 
Charles Turner. — In form, the counter- 
part of Andromeda, but colour white tipped 
with purple or rose. 
Miss Stephens. — Fancy flower ; pinky 
salmon, tipped and shaded with white and 
blush ; pretty good outline, round face. 
Rainbow. — A fine fancy flower, scarlet 
and white, and good of its class. 
Miss Jane. — Fancy flower, purple and 
white ; not in advance of its class, but a safe 
shower. 
Miss Blackmore. — Fancy flower, with a 
splendid petal, more coarse than we like, but 
nevertheless novel and beautiful. 
Queen Dowager. — Fancy flower ; bright 
sulphur, with white tips ; good petal, but 
large and rather open ; fair fancy flower, 
Sol. — Orange buff"; round, full, symme- 
trical, except the eye, which seemed to us 
treacherous. 
Purple Standard. — Very like the Stand- 
ard of Perfection in all respects, but colour a 
heavy purple. 
Dr. Horner. — A fancy flower, not very 
novel, but pretty safe ; rosy purple and white. 
Lovely. — A new colour, buff" ground 
pounced with pink, but nothing like close 
enough for a good show flower. 
Providence. — Something in the style of 
Cornwallis, but more colour, and may prove 
an acquisition. 
