1877.] 
THE LEADING NEW DAHLIAS OF THE YEAR. 
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formed full flower of remarkably fine quality, fleshy-lilac ground, striped and 
flaked with scarlet and crimson : taken altogether, this is about the finest new 
Dahlia of the year ; and George Barnes^ bright lilac ground slightly fiaked with 
crimson; build, substance, petal, and centre were very fine, and though quite 
distinct from Charles Wyatt, yet near to it in character. 
At the exhibition of Dahlias, &c., held at the Alexandra Palace on September 
13, First-class Certificates were awarded to Mr. Keynes for Bessie Ford, Louisa 
Neate^ and fancy Maid of Athens^ dark crimson ground, paling to bright red 
and slightly tipped with white ; a useful flower, but lacking the fine quality of 
Charles Wyatt and George Barnes. To Mr. C. Turner, Eoyal Nursery, Slough, 
for Charles Lidgard^ pale bright yellow, with medium tip of crimson lake, a 
finely-formed and striking flower of excellent quality ; and for Lady Golighily^ 
white, lightly tipped with delicate lilac, small, but of excellent form and quality, 
and quite distinct in character. To Messrs. Rawlings Bros, for James Willing^ 
shaded crimson, tipped with magenta, a distinct and handsome flower, fine in all 
its parts, and with much novelty of character. 
At the Crystal Palace Exhibition, on September 21, the exhibitors of new 
♦ 
Dahlias may be said to have had a field-day, and a goodly number of certificates 
were awarded, for Seedlings were in strong force. The following First-class 
Certificates were awarded :—To the Executors of the late Mr. John Harrison, 
Darlington, for Bosy Circle^ pale maroon-crimson ground, flushed and edged with 
bright scarlet, of good form, petal, and centre, and from the number of blooms 
staged, appearing as if it would be constant. To Mr. C. Turner for Lady 
Golightly^ shown in excellent condition. To Mr. John Keynes for Dictator, 
bright pale orange-red, good petal, outline, and centre ; Marian^ very delicate 
pinkish-lilac, in the way of Bessie Ford^ but deeper in colour, very fine petal, 
form and substance ; Emidator^ bright crimson, flushed with bright red on the 
circumference of the flower, very fine form and quality ; and Robert Burns, a 
fancy fiower, bright rose ground, flushed with claret, and striped with maroon, 
distinct and somewhat novel in appearance. The same award was made to 
Messrs. Bawling Bros, for James Willing, shown in fine condition. 
At the meeting of the Eoyal Horticultural Society on October 2, Messrs. 
Rawlings Bros, had First-class Certificates for James Willing, again in excel¬ 
lent form ; and for Mr. Shirley Hihherd, a flower that is scarcely a fancy variety, 
and yet comes very near to being one ; the ground-colour is pale buff, with creamy- 
flesh on the edges, the petals striped and slightly tipped with purple, with fine 
outline and petal, and good centre. 
Some other flowers that failed to attain First-class Certificates are worthy the 
attention of cultivators, viz., Cleopatra (Keynes), brilliant pale-reddish carmine, 
very effective ; 0. E. Coope (Rawlings), deep-shaded maroon, with dark crimson 
tip ; Wizard (Turner), a beautiful fancy variety, most difficult to describe, a 
little flat in appearance, but having great novelty' of character ; and Philip Frost 
(Turner), a bright-looking and distinct flower, with a golden buff and pale orange- 
red tint, likely to be useful as an exhibition variety.—R. D. 
