130 
The Garden Magazine, November, 1920 
variable plant of all the hosts that are grown in gardens. It 
never “comes true” from seed, but its seedlings are likely 
to be just as good as some others of the ten thousand or more 
which have been given names and been listed in the catalogues. 
Most exhibitors, be it noted, had their blooms carefullvlabeled, 
which was very helpful to the visitor, but one large grower, 
whose display was one of the attractive spectacles of the show, 
had not followed this 
rule, which should be 
insisted upon by the 
Society for its own 
benefit. One other 
thing to be given atten- 
tion at future exhibi- 
tions is the method of 
displaying the blooms. 
Instead of covering the 
tables with, as in this 
case, a light colored 
wrapping paper, some- 
thing darker and neu- 
tral in tone should be 
chosen; green, the color 
of the foliage, or an 
earth-brown would be a 
suitable foil against 
which the flower colors 
would stand out in a 
natural way. One 
exhibitor used deep 
purple velvet which 
very successfully di- 
minished the brilliancy 
of some of his best vari- 
eties while enhancing 
others. Another, 
achieved good results 
by backing the bloom 
with Dahlia foliage, and 
some others of the 
trade growers, like 
Burpee, and Totty 
made really artistic dis- 
plays. 
As to types, while 
everything except the 
old fashioned Single 
was seen, yet the show 
demonstrated the overwhelming popularity of the Decorative 
and Peony-flowered forms, in about equal weight. Next came 
the Cactus flowered but with a decided tendency away from the 
dainty, fragile looking, purest forms towards what is strangely 
called Hybrid Cactus. There were some really good displays of 
the old globular Show into which the Fancy of the old-time 
florists is now merged. 
The individual color classes did not make much of an impres- 
sion on the whole exhibition, partly because there were not many 
contestants and partly because the management had not 
grouped them together, and the winning exhibits had to be 
hunted out. Winning varieties were: (red) Pride of California; 
(white) Madame H. Scalabre; (yellow) Yellow King; (pink) 
Attraction; (fancy) John Lewis Childs. Be it noted that the 
term “fancy” as here used evidently means variegated, and not 
the “Fancy” of the old time growers. The variety named is 
in fact a variegated and variable Decorative. In “any other 
color” Miss Edith Slocum, a large deep claret colored flower 
won, and in Decorative an unnamed seedling of the Geisha 
type. Stillman’s Millionaire won as the largest bloom on dis- 
play. 
Seeing the display in retrospect there remain in mind certain 
varieties of compelling individuality; for example the splendid 
strain of large but not coarse Decoratives developed by Judge 
Marean, as exhibited by Scheepers. These are quite numerous 
and have a general likeness of form and size, and seemingly are 
to be had in almost any shadings and hues. Equally individual 
are those of the late Mr. Slocum which are now grown by his 
daughter. 
Actual novelties of real merit were few, but among them 
was one by R. Vincent 
& Sons named Patrick 
O’ Mara, in memory of 
the much honored hor- 
ticulturist of that name 
(of the firm of Peter 
Henderson) recently 
deceased. This is a 
Decorative of tawny- 
orange color borne on a 
good stout and long 
stem that seems to 
mark it at once as a 
useful practical variety. 
Moreover it scored 91 
per cent, (almost per- 
fection) at the Storrs 
trial grounds this 
season. 
Mrs. Stout, whose 
earlier seedling J . Harri- 
son Dick was named in 
memory of the former 
secretary of the Dahlia 
Society, had this year a 
seedling from that vari- 
ety fertilized by itself, 
the result being a Dec- 
o r a t i v e of improved 
color, but somewhat in 
the same range as the 
parents, and seeming to 
promise well for the 
future. 
Among others worthy 
of record were: Edith 
Ward, a port-wine 
colored true Decorative 
with twisted petals 
showing a lighter re- 
verse, from W. Ward, 
Trenton, N. J.; an unnamed yellow seedling also from Mrs. 
Stout (Short Hills, N. J.) which may be described as a Hybrid 
Show; Tropic Bird, a large Single, deep rose on yellow ground 
with a central cross bar of yellow on each ray (John Lewis 
Childs); Anna Lorenz, a Duplex, pink with what Ridgeway calls 
“sea foam yellow” disk; Lilian Smeenk, Duplex-peony, yellow 
running to pink equally divided on each ray (in the trial 
grounds this has shown unusual keeping qualities); F. P. 
Quimby, white Decorative; White Pearl, Peony-flowered. 
In Charles H. Totty’s display, in addition to the little Tom 
Thumb or Star Dahlias were two kinds, and by reason of their 
contrast specially striking: Etendard, a Duplex-peony, pure white 
eight or nine inches across and carried on a long stiff stem; and a 
yellow companion variety, Jovaine. Here also was the largest 
Collarette variety yet observed and well named Climax, deep red 
with white collar. Of the Marean strain already referred to, the 
varieties Mephistopheles, deep wine red; Judge Marean, dull 
orange-yellow; Mrs. l.de Ver Warner, mauve-pink, were specially 
striking. Lilac Giant (of Burpee) touched a color described by 
its name that is unusual, and others of this strain have merit 
as serviceable flowers with good stems for cutting, Jean Kerr, a 
white Decorative (which scored 85 points in the trial grounds), 
is also a very good cut flower. The decorative possibilities of the 
NEW DUPLEX-PEONY DAHLIA, ETENDARD 
Pure white with orange disk and here shown about half size (Totty) 
