220 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 12, 1S89. 
adopted by the English cultivators to rob Dahl of his honour and exalt 
in his place that of George III., King of England, in whose reign the 
flower was introduced. The name Georgina was much used in Germany 
and England, and so late as 1832 I find it entered in an index to 
“ Loudon’s Gardeners’ Magazine.” That, as you all remember, was 
the year of the Reform Bill, and a reform was effected in this matter, 
for in the year following H. Reynard, Esq., President of the Beverley 
Horticultural Society, proposed to reinstate the original name, and 
thereupon the reform was accomplished. In “Loudon’s Gardeners’ 
Magazine” for 1831, page 607, will be found a record of the event, 
with the following declaration by Mr. Loudon : —“ Our authority for 
adopting the name Georgina was Mr. Sweet; but Mr. David Don 
has proved to us that the name Dahlia was applied one year before 
that of Georgina. The name Dahlia, therefore, will in future be used 
by us.” 
The year 1801 forms the second epoch in the history of the Dahlia. 
In that year it was figured in the “Botanical Magazine" from Mr. 
Eraser’s specimens that flowered in Sloane Street. Seeds were again sent 
from Madrid, this time by Lady Holland to M. Buonaiuti, librarian to 
Lord Holland at Holland House. This gentleman raised all three 
varieties, and they flowered satisfactorily and were figured in the 
botanical periodicals of that day. From this time the cultivation 
tended in the direction of the exhibition that is here to-day, for the end 
of all who possessed the plant was to effect some improvement, the 
great aim being the production of double flowers. Now, although I 
have spoken of one of the early figures as apparently showing a semi¬ 
double flower, this must have been transitory, for in 1806 the gardeners 
at Malmaison and St. Cloud were striving after double flowers, and 
appear not to have got beyond the three varieties they began with— 
namely, coccinea, purpurea, and crocea. But in 1812 M. Donkelaar of 
the botanic gardens at Louvain, Belgium, raised a number of plants 
which all produced single flowers. The next year he made a further 
essay, and obtained some semi-double flowers ; and again he operated 
and secured flowers perfectly double, and the honour appears beyond 
all doubt to be due to him of launching the Dahlia on the tide of time 
as a fine florists’ flower, one quality of which must be a capability for 
infinite variation. 
This, we will say, brings us to the year 1814, which we may term the 
third epoch in the history of the flower. It had become established at 
Erfnrt and Leipzig simultaneously with its establishment at Louvain in 
1812, and Haage had raised a flower that was more than single if not 
quite double. It was admired, however, chiefly for its violet colour, 
which was at that time new to the Dahlia. In 1814 the continent was 
thrown open by the approach of the Allies to Paris, and the British 
amateurs found Dahlias in plenty in French gardens, many of which 
soon found their way to this country, and weie taken charge of with 
enthusiasm by the hopeful florists. Amongst the French amateurs who 
at this time cultivated this flower with assiduity mention should be 
made of M. Lelieur of Sevres, near Paris, and the Comte de Yandes, 
who imported French varieties into England, and communicated speci¬ 
mens to Dr. John Sims, for the two figures published in the “ Botanical 
Magazine ” in the year 1817. It has happened often in the history of 
the arts and sciences that they have had birth on the continent of 
Europe, and have reached us when somewhat advanced ; but that having 
made a beginning the people of this country have outstripped their 
foreign benefactors in a lively interpretation of the Baconian maxim, 
“ The true end of science is to enrich human life with useful arts and 
inventions.” 
\\ e must keep in mind that about the year 1S15 double flowers were 
beginning to appear ; but 1 shall invite your attention to the figure of 
Dahlia superflua, the “ crimson fertile-rayed Dahlia ” that appears in 
the “Botanical Register” for 1815, for it represents our “Show” 
Dahlia, the D. variabilis in its best form as a single flower not far 
removed from its wild Mexican form certainly, but in a grand condition 
as regards its rich crimson colour, its great spread of narrowish elliptic 
rays, and the small but brilliant golden centre. Such a flower would 
now be prized, and would make a new class of singles. If history is 
once more capable of repeating itself, surely this original Dahlia that 
we have improved out of existince will be lestored to us. Sydenham 
Edwards, the then editor of the “ Register,” was a man of taste with few 
prejudices, and we may regard this figure as representing the Dahlia 
that was considered the best of that day. 
From this time the history rises to a kind of stately march, the 
flower acquires extensive popularity, and as autumn approaches the 
whole country appears to glow with Dahlias, for tens of thousands are 
exhibited, and the talk of all the world is about them. The excitement 
that has prevailed in recent years in connection with exhibitions of the 
Chrysanthemum is as nothing when compared with the frenzy of forty 
years during which the Dahlia was the greatest of all the exhibition 
flowers. From 1820 to 1860 was the term of the highest popularity of 
the Dahlia. In the “ Annual Dahlia Register” for 1836 we find the 
favourites advertised by the following traders Brown of Slough ; 
Cooe of Milford, near Salisbury ; George Glenny of Isleworth (who 
reports that he selects from upwards of 3000 double flowers) ; John 
Harris of Upway, Dorset ; Heale & Son of Caine ; James Levick of 
Sheffield ; Bernard Saunders of Jersey ; Henry Skillman, Marlborough ; 
George Wheeler, Warminster ; the prices ranging from 3s. 6d. to 21s. per 
plant, the average for established varieties being then about 5s. to 3s. 
The pets of the period were generally less in size than the flowers of the 
present day, and often had pointed petals that were boldly cupped and 
far away from the smoothness and density that now prevail. One of 
them, Brown’s Glow-worm, was the precursor of the Cactus series, and 
comes near to J uarezi in all its characters. 
From the year 1832 the advance in floral qualities was rapid and' 
decisive. There was no conflict between “North and South ” as to tne- 
judging. The type of flower in fashion thirty years ago is admirably 
shown in the treatise on “ The Dahlia,” by Robert Hogg, published by 
Groombridge, 1853, for herein we find the true precursors of the splen¬ 
did show flowers that now rank highest in the esteem of cultivators 
the petals are no longer pointed, but rounded and smooth, and so even- 
with the periphery of the flower as to secure for it from every point ®r 
view an unbroken outline, while the crown is higher and more refined, 
and in respect of size the flower comes very near to the present stan¬ 
dard. In this work Mr. John Edwards, President of the National Flosi- 
cultural Society, at one time collaborateur with Mr. E. S. Dodwell,. 
pronounced Yellow Standard the finest flower he had seen^ until he 
obtained from it a variety named Mrs. Hansard, which is figured in 
Hogg’s book as a flower of a soft primrose colour, with white tips, re¬ 
minding me of the present Mrs. Saunders. Mr. Edwards reports that 
he sold this for £5 to a Dahlia trading firm, known as “The Metro¬ 
politan Union,” respecting which it would be out of season for me to 
give any particulars. 
It is an interesting question how many species of Dahlias we may 
have in cultivation. Taking the species reported in the order of thear 
appearing, we have Dahlia coccinea, otherwise D. frustanea, the barren- 
rayed Dahlia, introduced to Madrid, and figured by Cavanilles in his 
“ leones.” The figure of this in “ Botanical Magazine ” of 1804 (t. 7(>2), 
displays such a flower as we may now find in any garden where seedling 
singles obtain attention, and it is one we should now discard as too 
small for any purpose. The more famous D. variabilis or D. superflua,. 
the fertile-rayed Dahlia, was probably also one of the three secured for 
the first Madrid set, and as figures of it abound I select three ^ only for 
special mention in connection with the earlier history. “ B. M.” of 1817 
contains two figures, one of a single red flower with broad petals, coming 
near to a show flower of the present day ; the other a double purple of 
small size, with narrow pointed florets, and such as we may now speak 
of as in its day a quite promising flower. A grand figure of the single 
D. superflua is that in “ B. R.,” t. 55 above referred to, and the date 
1815 doubtless shows that it was obtained from Paris. The plant in¬ 
troduced by Fraser in 1802 was D. frustranea, the barren-rayed Dahlia,, 
which in common with the others had been lost to cultivation. _ These 
two appear to be equally variable, and are probably not specifically 
distinct, so that we may encourage the belief that the Dahlia, as a show 
flower, is of pure descent, its variations being the consequence ot a 
potentiality of its own and not of any mixing of species or hybridisation.. 
In 1837 was introduced from Mexico D. Barkerise, a pleasing form r 
probably not specifically distinct from the foregoing. In 1840 D. gla- 
brata was obtained from Mexico, and figured in “ B. R.,” t. 29, and 
“ B. M.,” t. 3878. It is smooth and distinctly lobed in the leaf, and has* 
a neat and pleasing habit, being smaller every way than D. variabilis, 
of which it is a variety. The noble D. imperialis is certainly distinct,, 
and withal its imperial qualities, it does not now concern us more 
than to record that it first flowered in the Zurich garden in 1862, and- 
has not as yet become established as a garden favourite anywhere in 
Europe through lacking the first conditions of manageableness and sea¬ 
sonable display. To our dear old friend, the late John Salter, of Ham¬ 
mersmith, belongs the credit of having first taught the Imperial Dahlia 
how to behave as a garden plant. 
Between the great days of the Dahlia and its eclipse for ten years 
that closed with the institution of this Society, it was seen how little to- 
be trusted were great corporations, having universal aims, with the- 
interests of such a flower. From the beginning of the world until new 
it seems that the florists have had cause to complain of the indifference 
of such representatives of horticultural omniscience as the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural, Royal Botanic, and Royal Manchester Societies, the Crystal 
Palace, the Alexandra Palace, and the organisations for great floral) 
fetes, and the diffusion of light from and for the garden in all our 
great centres of light and leading. The practical outcome of the long- 
cultivated discontent is seen in the National Societies for the repre¬ 
sentation of the Tulip, Auricula, Carnation, Dahlia, Chsysanthemum,. 
and other popular favourites. The Crystal Palace became a kind ©f 
home for the Rose and the Dahlia, in consequence of the appearance of 
these flowers at seasons when the great public were apt to be moved by 
pleasant weather to recognise, and as we sweetly say “ patronise,” the 
glories of the garden. The Dahlia shows at the Crystal Palace in a. 
long run of years were delightful as bringing together Dahlias, Gladioli,. 
Hollyhocks, and other autumnal flowers ; but they came to an end in 
the year 1869, simply because, as the managers reported, they had 
ceased to pay. Thereupon was formed the “ Metropolitan Society for 
the Encouragement of Florists’ Flowers,” the principal promoter of- 
which was our excellent friend and faithful florist the Rev. H. H_ 
D’Ombrain. This Society held its first Exhibition in the Crystal Palace 
on September 7th, 1870, and though Dahlias were the leading subjects,, 
there were also good displays of Roses, Hollyhocks, Asters, and Gladioli. 
The same Society was in action in the Crystal Palace in 1871 and 1872_ 
In 1873 there was no show, for arrangements had been made for holding 
a show at the Alexandra Palace, but the place was burned to the ground, 
and it was impossible to hold a Dahlia show amid the ruins. In 1874, 
there was no exhibition. In 1875 the Metropolitan Society held an 
autumn Show in the Alexandra Palace, and that was its last act and 
deed, although the dying speech was not then pronounced ; in fact was 
never pronounced, for the thing died quietly. 
