222 
[ September V2, 1889. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
choose the bud which is perfect and will be likely to be in flower about 
the date of the exhibition, and remove all the other buds. Should the 
variety be a thin and small flower then remove all the side shoots down 
from the bud to the stem ; but should the variety be inclined to become 
coarse only thin sparingly until a week or so before the show. This 
is most essential to a Show Dahlia. The soil should never be allowed 
to be dry at their roots from the time of planting, and 1 think I 
might here state that after the plants have been staked and tied out the 
surface of the soil should be forked over and the plants top-dressed with 
a good dressing of stable manure, this will keep the roots moist and 
encourage the roots to the surface to feed. Should the weather be hot 
and dry the plants should be sprinkled overhead every night in addition 
to the watering at the roots, which at first should not be excessive, but 
sufficient to keep them moist and growing. Heavy watering should be 
commenced three weeks before the exhibition, as the plants will be 
sufficiently large to take plenty of water, and should be continued 
until a week previous to the show, the last week lightly sprinkling 
round the plants to keep them fresh and moist; too much water a few 
days previous to the show has a tendency to cause the flowers to shoot 
their petals after being cut for exhibition. 
To protect the buds from earwigs, caterpillars, green fly, thrips, &c., 
a muslin bag 6 inches by 8 is best, and should be placed over the bud as 
soon as it shows colour. The bag should be fastened with bast or raffia 
round the stem of the flower, and must be taken off every morning to 
see if any insect has by chance got into the bag, and the flower examined 
to see if it is growing properly, and as the flower progresses the bag 
should be lifted every morning, so as not to check the growth of the 
flower. Shades are best made of a stout wire frame with a thick canvas 
covering, and should the weather prove very hot a few leaves of Rhubarb 
should be laid on the shade over the full grown flowers. Shading should 
be commenced a week previous (o the exhibition. Some tipped or light 
edged flowers are much improved by a flower pot (24) placed over them 
on a table a week or ten days before a show, with a piece of glass over 
the hole in case of rain. 
The stands on which the flowers are exhibited are usually painted 
green, and are made of one uniform width—viz., 18 inches, and should 
be supported by legs 9 inches at the back and 3 inches in front, holes 
being made to receive the flowers 6 inches apart, and for a stand of 
twelve flowers, 24 inches long. In selecting blooms for exhibition place 
deep circular flowers at the corners of the stand, and introduce as 
much diversity of colour as possible, selecting quality before size, a large 
coarse flower often spoiling what would otherwise have been a good 
stand. The perfection in a show flower should be fair size, globular 
with good depth, the petals short and cupped, smooth on the edge, the 
outline a perfect globe, the centre high but not above the face of the 
flower, the centre should be close, and the petals radiating from the 
centre should expand by degrees ; types of the most perfect flowers 
being Mrs. Gladstone, Bendigo, Joseph Green, and Sunbeam. The colour 
of a self should be bright and clear, of one uniform shade from the 
centre to the back petals ; if an edged flower the marking should 
extend round the edge of each petal. 
I may here name the best twenty-four Show Dahlias in cultivation 
at the present time :— 
Maud Fellowes (Fellowes), French white, tinted and shaded with 
purple, perfect centre, and a grand show flower, very constant. 
Clara (Rawlings), rosy peach, a large constant flower, of good petal 
and outline. 
Constancy (Keynes), yellow ground, deeply edged with lake, large. 
Flag of Truce (Wheeler), white, occasionally tipped lilac, fine. 
George Rawlings (Rawlings), very dark maroon, a full size flower, fine. 
Goldfinder (Fellowes), yellow, tipped with red, large, finely shaped. 
Herbert Turner (Turner), French white, with a soft tinge of lilac ; a 
noble show flower. 
Imperial (Keynes), deep purple, with a pretty shade of lilac ; large, 
and of splendid form. 
James Cocker (Keynes), purple, large, fine form, constant. 
James Vick (Keynes), purplish maroon, full and symmetrica], fine. 
John, Neville Keynes (Keynes), yellow, of fine form. 
Joseph Green (Keynes), bright crimson, full centre and good outline. 
Lustrous (Turner), deep scarlet, almost a crimson, fine outline and 
good petal. 
Miss Cannell (Eckford), white ground deeply edged with purplish 
crimson. 
Mr. G. Harris (Rawlings), crimson-scarlet, a deep full flower, fine 
form, and constant. 
Mrs. Gladstone (Hurst). This is admitted to be the most perfect 
show variety yet raised. The colour is a very delicate soft pink, in form 
a model, and very constant. 
Mrs. Harris (Harris), white ground, lilac edge, a very fine flower. 
Mrs. Langtry (Keynes), creamy white, edged with crimson, full 
size, good form. 
Prince Bismarck (Fellowes), puce, shot with purple, full size, remark¬ 
ably constant, and of the finest form. 
Pi bice of Denmark (Fellowes), very deep maroon, shaded with 
crimson, very effective. 
R. T. Raidings (Rawlings), clear yellow, fine form. 
Sunbeam (Fellowes), clear buff, with a beautiful outline, good and 
constant. 
T. J. Salt marsh (Rawlings), yellow, deeply edged with red, fine stout 
cupped petal. 
William Rawlings (Rawlings), crimson-purple, fine. 
Fancy Dahlias. —The previous remarks made with regard to Show 
flowers are applicable to the Fancy class with a few exceptions, one of 
which is that many varieties of Fancies require very spare thinning or 
disbudding, as the Fancy varieties are very easily made coarse by over¬ 
thinning. The tipped varieties in this section are much improved 
by the flowers being put under a pot for a week previous to the show. _ 
Appended is a list of the best twelve Fancy varieties now in 
cultivation :— 
Mrs. John Downie (Turner), orange, tipped with scarlet; a large 
flower, of fine form and perfect centre. 
Charles Wyatt (Keynes), deep rose, flaked with crimson, fine. 
Frank Pearce (Rawlings), rose, striped crimson, fine form, constant. 
George Barnes (Keynes), lilac, striped crimson, a fine flower. 
Henry Eckford (Rawlings), yellow or light buff striped with scarlet. 
Henry Glasscock (Keynes), buff, crimson stripe, fine. 
John Forbes (Keynes), fawn, striped with maroon, fine. 
Mrs. N. Halls (Rawlings), bright scarlet, tipped with white, good 
form. 
Mrs. Saunders (Turner), yellow, tipped with white, fine form, very 
constant, good habit. 
Peacock (Turner), dark purple-maroon, distinctly tipped with white. 
Rebecca (Keynes), lilac, stripped with crimson, large ; very constant. 
Rev. J. B. M. Camm (Keynes), yellow, flaked red, very large. 
CULTIVATION OF THE SHOW DAHLIA. 
[By Sir. J. T. West.] 
I DO not attempt to tell the trade growers anything but what they 
are fully conversant with already. The purpose of this paper is to 
throw out a few practical suggestions for criticism that may ultimately 
benefit some of my brother amateurs ; also to incite others to take up , 
the culture of the Dahlia. I do not propose touching upon the pro¬ 
pagation of the Dahlia, as I consider that to be of secondary importance, 
as probably most amateur cultivators depend upon the trade grower to 
supply plants in the spring. I will fuither add that I will give my own 
experience in growing for exhibition, which/of course, is of a very limited 
character. 
In the cultivation of the Show Dahlia the first thing is to make up 
one’s mind not to be baffled by the many obstacles that stand in the 
way ere success is attained. Probably no florist’s flower has more 
enemies than the Dahlia, nor requires more constant attention. Let 
none think that Dahlia growing is merely a hobby that can be attended 
by merely a casual glance round at the plants. It means hard work 
and worry day and night, and unless this is done no success will be 
achieved, and the flower will be given up in disgust. On the other 
hand, no flower pays more liberally for proper attention and care than 
this flower. In the first place, let those who propose growing the Show 
Dahlia in the future make up their minds as to the number they are 
likely to grow, so that they can prepare the ground during the winter 
months by deep trenching and digging in plenty of manure. Let the 
soil be laid up in a rough state, so that the frosts, rains, and snows may 
pulverise and fertilise, and help to keep the vermin down. This I con¬ 
sider far better than to begin in April or May, as if suddenly remem¬ 
bering there is such a flower as the Dahlia, and commencing then to dig 
and manure to a great extent. Really, in my opinion, this is courting 
failure. Though the Dahlia is a great feeder, I do not consider it wise 
to give a lot of manure for it to come into contact with, as that has a 
great tendency to make the plant grow rank, and throw coarse and rough 
blooms, thus spoiling all chance of success. The plan 1 follow is, after 
the autumn digging, and some time before planting, to dig out holes for 
each plant, and put in say half a peck of good old rotten manure, 
thoroughly mixed with the soil. This I find sufficient to give the plant 
a good start, and to support it until it commences to flower. 
If a grower does not grow his own plants it is best to give his orders 
in to the trade as early as possible, so as to insure sufficient of the sorts 
required, for many sorts are shy, consequently the stock of the best is 
soon sold. Early in May the plants will be dispatched to their various 
destinations ; probably little sturdy specimens in thumb pots. When 
received put into a warm frame or house for a few days until they are 
rooted well, then transfer into 5 or 7-inch pots in good loam and dung 
with a little sharp sand. Replace them in the frame or house until they 
are growing ; then admit plenty of air to keep them sturdy and strong 
and to prevent them drawing up, which is very undesirable at any time. 
By the end of May the lights can be drawn off all day and put on again 
at night, with air at the back, until two or three days before planting 
out, when the lights can be removed entirely. 
The first week in June is a good time to put the plants out in the 
ground or in the holes prepared for them, taking care that the ground is 
not too wet, or it is likely to give the plants a check and to cake round 
the roots. A good distance, where one has plenty of room, is G feet from 
row to row and 5 feet from plant to plant in the rows. Of course, all 
are not so favoured as to have so much room, but it pays in the long 
run, for the plants grow stronger and more robust; besides that, it is 
more convenient to get amongst them, especially when the weather is 
wet. But we cannot draw a hard line in distance of planting, but must 
go according to the room at our disposal. When they are planted plant 
some Lettuces between them ; these will act as a decoy for slugs, they 
will eat them instead of the Dahlias. What they leave will come in for 
the table, as they are sure to be crisp and good. It is also advisable to 
put a little lime or soot round each plant, as prevention is better than 
cure. 
In a few days they will commence growing, and will want their 
