Sewickley. 
The dates . selected by the Sewickley Horticultural Society and the 
Garden Club of Allegheny County for the Sewickley Dahlia Show were 
September 27th, 28th and 29th. Many fears were felt lest the Dahlias 
should not survive the recent drought, but survive it they did, and a 
gorgeous display was the result, far anticipating the committee's hopes. 
For other garden bloom, owing to climatic conditions and distance from 
lakes or ocean, the Pittsburgh district had not much to show in June, but 
the Dahlias for the fall show were unsurpassed, and Sewickley has forged 
to the front in the last two years as one of the Dahlia Show centers. 
The Guildhall, with its dark, stained walls, made an excellent back- 
ground for the flowers. The four floor-displays, measuring 100 square feet 
each, greeted the eye on entering, and were very beautiful in their coloring 
and the ingenuity of design, the quality of the flowers being especially 
worthy of note. The size of the larger Dahlias may best be described by 
the manicure girl 's inquiry as to whether ' ' the Dahlias were grafted on the 
cabbages or the cabbages on the Dahlias. ' ' Among these, three stood para- 
mount: Mrs. I. de Yer Warner (both in its decorative and its peony form, 
the latter being decidedly the most effective), Mrs. John Scheepers, a 
novelty which has beside its blonde coloring to recommend it, a hardiness 
of growth seldom before equalled; and E. T. Bedford, which averaged 
possibly the largest size of all, though that well -named mammoth, The 
Bashful Giant, thrust ruthlessly into a milk bottle and obliged to lift his 
head temporarily, received the award of the largest bloom in the Show. 
The smaller type of Dahlia was not neglected and had its deserved 
recognition, that old favorite, Countess of Lonsdale, winning first prize in 
the Gardener's Table Decoration class. True, the Countess had an 
admirable setting in jade-colored Chinese porcelain, but the arrangement 
was so perfectly done that it would undoubtedly have won even if placed 
in less beautiful surroundings. The table decoration classes were for 
members of the Garden Club only, the first prize won by Mrs. Eea for an 
elaborate use of old Waterford glass, with tiny flowers in a charming 
centerpiece of small hanging vases. 
As a silver cup had already been offered by Mr. H. Lee Mason, Jr., 
for "The finest thing in the show," a special class was formed for the 
bronze medal of the Garden Club op America, calling for a "vase or 
basket of six blooms in variety, quality of bloom, and not arrangement, to 
count. ' ' This was won by Mrs. J. D. Lyon with six magnificent examples 
of Marean Dahlias, while the silver cup was awarded to Mrs. E. M. Home 
in the 100 square foot class with a fine arrangement also of Marean Dahlias. 
Another class calling for 50 blooms of 50 varieties, four or more types, not 
less than six of a type, was most difficult to enter, and was considered 
worthy of the Silver Medal of the American Dahlia Society, and a silver 
vase was offered by Mrs. W. P. Snyder for a vase or basket of Dahlias 
unlimited. There was a ' ' tub ' ' class, won by a remarkable speciment of U. 
S. A., with at least fifteen different blooms, and there were in addition to 
the entries in this class, many tubs of Dahlias used in different parts of 
the hall, proving an excellent form of decoration. Against the side walls 
were placed the displays calling for 26 square feet, while many vases of 
25 blooms each gave height to tables otherwise occupied with "milk bottle" 
classes. The annuals and perennials were placed on the stage behind the 
dinner tables, the annuals being especially fine. Vegetables in all varieties 
were staged the second day as was the fruit, and quite rivalled their 
Country Fair cousins for size and novelty, gorgeous grapes being challenged 
in their season by everbearing strawberrries and raspberries. Vases of 
late outdoor Eoses, retaliating, gave notice to the flaunting Dahlia that 
the last rose of summer was not yet a thing of the past, and a wonderful 
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