DESCRIPTIVE FLOWER LISTS. — THE DAHLIA. 
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Rouge et Noir (Ansell). — A dark variety, 
with occasionally a crimson shade, which makes 
it a brilliant flower ; it is often notched at the 
edge, and at best not a good outline. 
Scarlet Defiance (Cozens). — Rather a 
blood-red than a scarlet ; close flower, but eye 
sunk a little, and outline not perfect. 
Climax (Jeffreys). — Useful purple, occa- 
sionally very fine and showable, but beaten 
by more modern flowers. 
Hope, or Metropolitan Rose (Neville). — 
Rather darkish rose ; uncertain, but an ex- 
cellent flower ; full average size, and not 
easily beaten when grown well. 
Unique (Ansell). — Yellow, with a brown 
shade or tip, but occasionally quite yellow ; a 
well-formed flower at all times, though the 
petals are rather coarse, and reflex a good 
deal. It preserves still by its form a place 
which its colour does not deserve, and would 
now be among the best twelve if well grown. 
Maria (Wheeler). — A pretty rose-coloured 
flower,- handsome in a stand ; very neat and 
compact, with a tolerable good outline ; size 
below the average. 
Springfield Rival. — The very first well- 
formed Dahlia that was produced ; fine outline, 
remarkably symmetrical, and useful in any 
stand. Indeed, though there are flowers in 
the same way still more compact, it will not 
easily be displaced. 
Bloomsbury (Lee). — A large scarlet, very 
bright, almost too large for a stand, unless 
grown in a pot or confined situation ; when 
grown in the open air, the lateral blooms only 
come near a showing size, but it has not a 
good outline at the best, and but for its colour 
would not be tolerated in good stands. 
* Beeswing. — Crimson ; a splendid flower in 
some respects, but, as we have seen it, there 
is a point to every petal ; still, it is round, 
full, double, and symmetrical, and will be 
grown by everybody. 
* Empress of the Whites. — A very pretty 
flower, but the petals have the same little point 
discernible, even when well done ; neverthe- 
less, it will be a favourite, though it quills too 
much. 
Nonpareil. — A fine crimson scarlet, of 
beautiful form, good texture, perfect petal, 
double and compact ; a most desirable variety, 
worth more now than half the new ones. 
Bermondsey Bee. — A darker flower, of 
equal, if not superior, pi*etensions, and very 
desirable ; compact, double, and symmetrical. 
Lady Antrobus. — One of the best of the 
light-edged flowers, and one of the most suc- 
cessful of the last season ; its petals are soft, 
but it does not spoil the flowers for a good 
stand. It requires good gi'owing, but not too 
much of it. 
Standard of Perfection. — A flower con- 
sidered a model in all but one reaped ; H i 
double, and cups so much, that the eye does 
not come up perfect to the surface ; it is pretty 
nearly as double as a ranunculus, and is almost 
without a rival; colour, deep crimson. 
*Duke of York (Langleyj.— A yellow, 
rather compact and good, inclined to go oil' 
brown outside, but petals of good texture. 
*La Polka (Francis). — A very pretty yel- 
low, rather compact, and well up in the centre, 
with a good outline. 
*Mary Anne (Harrison). — Rather a suc- 
cessful tipped flower ; said to have won every 
prize it was shown for in the country, but not 
shown in London. 
*Itliuriel. — A strange bronzy mixture of 
colour, hardly describable ; moderately well 
formed, and rather conspicuous. 
* Duke of York (Harrison). — A yellow 
flower ; pretty fair average for quality, but 
not extraordinary. 
*Essex Primrose (Wicks). — A large prim- 
rose-coloured flower, with good outline ; 
rather too open and coarse as shown in Lon- 
don, probably from excess of growth ; inclined 
to be flat in the centre, but a very large showy 
flower. 
*Arethusa. — A singular and pretty purple, 
average size ; the centre not so well made up as 
we like, but novel colour, and rather striking. 
Essex Champion (Turville). — A crowded 
flower, rich orange colour, uncertain, but a 
very striking flower when perfect ; above the 
average size. 
Twickenham Rival (Kingham). — Bright 
yellow, fine petals, excellent texture, full 
double flower, uncertain in the centre ; but, 
when caught perfect, the best yellow, especially 
in the colour and general form. 
Sir Robert Sale (Smith). — A flower of 
excellent proportions, but occasionally notched ; 
dark puce ; very compact, and occasionally 
equal to any Dahlia in cultivation, the centre 
being generally excellent. 
* Lady Sale (Smith). — A well-formed flower, 
double, symmetrical, and novel; yellow ground, 
crimson tops, very decided and shaded down 
into the petal a little; occasionally a very 
beautiful variety in even a choice stand. 
* Essex Bride (Turville). — A silvery lilac 
flower, remarkably bright, of pretty form, and 
in general a good show flower, taking first 
class prizes in the lilac class, and making a 
very good addition to a small stand. 
* Caledonian (Sharpe). — A similar coloured 
flower,, of very much larger size, and calcu- 
lated to make a fine back-row show flower ; 
petals rather long, but well covered. 
* Essex Scarlet. — A close flower, rather be- 
low the average size ; very bright ; moderately 
good outline, but centre rather confused, and 
flower apparently rather uncertain. 
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