THE DAHLIA. 
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part,) far surpassing in beauty those from 
which they were raised. At the period when 
the varieties were first becoming numerous, and 
Mr. Dennis, who was one of our earliest 
dealers in a large way, catalogued them by 
hundreds, there was every conceivable shape, 
size, and (excepting a blue) colour. There 
never was a subject so likely to be destroyed 
in value by the eagerness to multiply the sorts 
on sale, and the enthusiasm of the public to 
cultivate the largest collection. There was not 
at this time any notion about beauty — singu- 
larity was the first object, and brilliancy of 
colour went a long wa} r towards making a 
flower singular. We had an early notion 
that a check might be put to the evil — which 
could not fail to disgust every body with the 
flower, at least if the wild and weedy sorts 
were encouraged, for we had already got globe- 
formed, anemone-formed, China-aster-formed, 
Hollyhock-formed, and we know not how 
many more — and the plan was to establish 
shows, to lay down the properties of a perfect 
flower, and act upon it. The first show was 
at Billingsgate, when a five-guinea cup was 
given as a first prize, and the money paid for 
entrances was divided into second and third. 
These were given for the best twelve double 
flowers, and all globes, anemone flowers, 
China-aster flowers, and all the other wild 
sporting varieties were excluded. The next 
show under the same auspices was at Ham- 
mersmith, when the first medals were issued 
in the name of the Metropolitan Society, not 
then fully organized. The result of this was 
the public abandonment of all but proper 
double flowers ; and the publication of the 
properties of the dahlia in the Horticultural 
Journal banished all others from the garden, 
as well as from the shows, much to the an- 
noyance of some dealers, who with an eye to 
profit exclusively had been buying up all the 
novel rubbish they could lay their hands on. 
The Metropolitan Society worked a complete 
revolution in floriculture, and especially took 
the Dahlia under its protection ; for there were 
thousands of pounds changed hands yearly for 
that flower alone, and many persons were, by 
means of the impetus which it gave to public 
shows, benefited to a large amount, while the 
trade reaped the advantage from one extreme 
of Europe to the other. Thus much of the 
history of the Dahlia in this country may be 
interesting ; and so it may be worth mentioning 
that Springfield Rival was the first flower that 
reconciled the generality of growers to the 
possibility of approaching the properties laid 
down. Mr. Widnall's Perfection was seized 
upon by the opponents of " the Properties," 
its distinctive character being a rosette out- 
line, while the Springfield Rival was a positive 
circle. However, with these preliminary 
remarks, we will give an outline of the Pro- 
perties we laid down for the perfection of the 
Dahlia, and the culture we adopted, although 
we have repeatedly done this before, and every 
writer who has pretended to instruct us since, 
has only changed our words to give the same 
lesson. 
PROPERTIES OF THE DAHLIA. 
1. The flower should be a perfect circle 
when viewed in front : the petals should be 
broad at the ends, smooth at the edges, thick 
in substance, perfectly free from indenture or 
point, stiff to hold their form ; they should cup 
a little, but not enough to show the under sur- 
face ; they should be in regular rows, forming 
an outline of a perfect circle, without any 
vacancy between them, and all in the circle 
should be the same size, uniformly open to the 
same shape, and not crumpled. 
2. The flower should form two-thirds of a 
ball when looked at sideways. The rows of 
petals should rise one above another sym- 
metrically ; every petal should cover the join 
of the two petals under it — what the florists 
call imbricating, by which means the circular 
appearance is perfected throughout. 
3. The centre should be perfect, the un- 
bloomed petals, laying with their points to- 
wards the centre, should form a button, and 
should be the highest part of the flower com- 
pleting the ball. 
4. The flower should be symmetrical. The 
petals should open boldly, without showing 
their under side, even when half opened, and 
should form circular rows, uniformly laid, 
evenly opened, and enlarging by degrees to 
the outer row of all. 
5. The flower should be very double. The 
rows of petals laying one above another should 
cover one another very nearly ; not more 
should be seen in depth than half the breadth; 
the more they are covered, so as to leave 
them distinct, the better in that respect ; the 
petals, therefore, though cupped, must be 
shallow. 
6. The size of the flower, when well grown, 
should be four inches in diameter, and not 
more than six. 
7. The colour should be dense, whatever it 
be — not as if it were a white dipped in colour, 
but as if the whole flower was coloured through- 
out. Whether tipped or edged, it must be 
free from splashes or blotches, or indefinite 
marks of any kind ; and new flowers, unless 
they beat all the old ones of the same colour, 
or are of a novel colour themselves, with a 
majority of the points of excellence, should be 
rejected. 
If the petals show the under side too much, 
even when looked at sideways — if they do not 
cover each other well — if the centre is com- 
