58 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 28, 1889. 
measured, was 4 ins. round, the height being 7 ft. 8 in3. 
This variety even strongly grown is certainly shorter 
and thicker than the type, as one of these latter in our 
"Weybridge Wood garden is just 11 ft. high, and only 
3f ins. round at the base. Another clump of three 
have stems between 10 ft. and 11 ft. high, with less 
diameters. 
I still think that a really line specimen of the type 
L. auratum is quite as beautiful in its flower, and, in 
addition, more graceful than the varieties macranthum 
or platyphyllum ; this year in a hill Lily bed we had 
good means of comparison. In one portion was the 
fine L. macranthum mentioned above. When visitors 
saw this they said it was the finest Lily they had ever 
seen ; but a little farther on, higher up, was a single 
plant of the type—a really perfect specimen—which 
they admitted was still more beautiful. Our hill field 
of L. auratum was this year more thoroughly satis¬ 
factory than the plantation in the wood. I think the 
latter was somewhat injured by the cold and wet of last 
year, though, however, it had many beautiful flowers. 
When Lilies are planted near bushes (Rhododendrons 
excepted) or trees, unless the soil is frequently renewed, 
the plants will gradually dwindle away. In the garden 
here we have tried to avoid this by sinking a paraffin 
cask with the bottom out, filling it up with Lily soil, 
and planting bulbs of L. auratum macranthum in it. 
These have bloomed beautifully this year, but, of 
course, several seasons will be necessary to test 
whether the object will be attained. I intend this 
autumn to try some more casks. 
Since this note was written a sudden frost has in¬ 
jured the flowers of L. speciosum in the hill beds, 
while those in the wood have escaped. — George F. 
Wilson, Heathnrbank, Weybridge. 
-->*€•-- 
THE DAHLIA A3 A SHOW 
FLOWER.* 
By Mr. Harry Turner. 
The subject of this paper being only to treat upon show 
and fancy Dahlias as show flowers, I shall confine my 
remarks strictly to this subject. 
Potting. 
1 might say a few words as to the preparation of the 
plant to produce show flowers, although the subject 
has been described in another paper under the heading 
of cultivation. The plants intended to plant out to 
produce show flowers should be potted from the small 
5-in. pots (in the early part of May) into 48’s or 32’s, 
and placed in a cold frame until planted out early in 
June. Nearly all the varieties make strong plants, 
and succeed well if grown from cuttings, but a few 
varieties, such as Bendigo, Mrs. Poster, Burgundy, 
Herbert Turner, &c., which are very double, or are apt 
to come with green centres, are better grown from pot 
roots, or old divided ground roots. 
Plantino. 
The plants should be planted 5 ft. by 4 ft. apart ; if in 
a border, arranging for the tallest flowers at the back. 
After the ground has been squared out, dig holes about 
2 ft. square, and the same depth—into each hole put a 
spadeful of light potting shed or other soil mixed with 
a little manure—this is to give the plant a start—break 
up the soil taken out of the hole before returning it, 
and after the plant is planted lightly tread when re¬ 
placing it. A light stick will hold the plant for a few 
days, and when planting is finished put a stout stake 
4 ft. to 5 ft. high to each plant, and tie the stem of the 
plant to the stake rather loosely to allow for the stem 
to swell in due course. As soon as the main stem 
throws out laterals, add four smaller stakes to secure 
the side branches, to keep them well tied out so that 
plenty of light and air are admitted to the plant during 
growth. 
Disbudding and Thinning. 
There is no general rule for disbudding ; every variety 
has to be studied in this respect. To commence to dis¬ 
bud some coarse-growing varieties, such as Champion 
Rollo, Royal Queen, &c., as soon as the buds appear 
would make the flowers coarse the whole season, whilst 
all varieties should be sparingly disbudded at first, by 
taking only one bud away, and then within three weeks 
of the exhibition the grower can choose the bud which 
is perfect, and will be likely to be in flower about the 
date of 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 ; hut should the variety be inclined to become 
coarse, only thin sparingly until a week or so before 
the show. 
* Beacl atthe Dahlia Conference, Crystal Palace, Sept. 13,1S89. 
"Watering. 
This is most essential to a show Dahlia ; the plant 
should never he allowed to be dry at the root from the 
time of planting, and I 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-dre 3 sed 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. 
Protecting the Buds and Blooms. 
To protect the bud from earwigs, caterpillars, green¬ 
fly, thrips, &c., a muslin bag 6 ins. by 8 ins. is best, 
and should he placed over the bud as soon as it shows 
colour ; the bag should be fastened with bass or raffia 
round the stem of the flower, and should be taken off 
every morning to see if any insect has by chance got 
into the bag, and the flower exmiined to see if it is 
growing properly, and as the flower progresses the bag 
should be lifted up every morning, so as not to check 
the growth of the flower. 
Shading. 
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 to the exhibition. Some 
tipped or light-edged flowers are much improved by a 
flower-pot (24) placed over them on a table a week cr 
ten days before a show, with a piece of glass over the 
hole in case of rain. 
Exhibiting. 
The stands on which the flowers are exhibited are 
usually painted green, and are made of one uniform 
width, viz., 18 ins., and should be supported by legs 
9 ins. at the back and 3 ins. in front, holes being made 
to receive the flowers 6 ins. apart; and for a stand of 
twelve flowers, 24 ins. long. 
Selecting Blooms for Exhibition. 
In selecting blooms for exhibition place deep circular 
flowers at the corners of the stand ; introduce as much 
diversity of colour as possible, and select quality before 
size, a large coarse flower often spoiling what would 
otherwise have been a good stand. 
Qualities in a Good Flower. 
The perfection in a show flower should be a 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 are Mrs. Gladstone, Bendigo, Joseph 
Green, and Sunbeam, &e. 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 until it 
is lost out of sight. 
I may here name 
The Best Twenty-four Show Dahlias. 
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 soft 
tinge of lilac ; a noble show flower. 
Imperial (Keynes), deep purple, with pretty shade of 
lilac ; large, and of splendid form. 
James Cocker (Keynes), purple, large, fine form, 
constant. 
James Vick (Keynes), purplish maroon, full and 
symmetrical, 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, remarkably constant and of the finest form. 
Prince of Denmark (Fellowes), very dark maroon, 
shaded with crimson, very effective. 
R. T. Rawlings (Rawlings), clear yellow, fine form. 
Sunbeam (Fellowes), clear buff, with a beautiful out¬ 
line, good and constant. 
T. J. Saltmarsh (Rawlings), yellow, deeply edged 
with red, fine stout cupped petal. 
"William Rawlings (Rawlings), crimson-purple, fine. 
Fancy Dahlias. 
The 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 pat for a week previous to 
the show. 
Appended is a list of the twelve best fancy Dahlias. 
Mrs. John Downie (Turner), orange, striped with 
scarlet; a large flower, of fine form, and perfect centre. 
Charles Wyatt (Keynes), deep rose, flecked 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, striped with crimson, large; 
very constant. 
Rev. J. B. M. Oamm (Keynes), yellow, flaked red, 
very large. 
-o-r-s-- 
EARLY-FLOWERING CHRYSAN¬ 
THEMUMS.* 
By Mr. W. Piercy, Forest Hill. 
For some years before 1876, I was growing Chrysan¬ 
themums in the open garden, and I found that very 
generally just as they were coming into bloom the frost 
came and spoilt the flowers, often in a single night. I 
observed that one plant bloomed in October. This Was 
the old sort, Drin Drin, which set me thinking if it 
was not possible to have a race of early sorts. I found 
that very little was known of varieties blooming before 
November, but in the Gardeners' Magazine, of Novem¬ 
ber 11th, 1876, a letter appeared from the Rev. F. 
Freeman, now of "Wickersley Rectory, Rotherham, 
Yorkshire, from which it was evident that he was on 
the same track as myself. In the issue of the same 
paper for December 2nd, 1876, there was a communi¬ 
cation from the late Mr. Henry Taylor, giving a list of 
thirteen sorts blooming before the end of October. 
These two communications made me sure that it was 
possible in England to have Chrysanthemums in bloom 
in the open before the frost came, and the hunt began. 
I soon found that Mr. "Watson, then of the Marlborough 
Nursery, Islington, London, grew these plants in large 
quantities in small pots for trade purposes, but that he 
had few if any sorts beyond those in Mr. H. Taylor’s 
list, which did not include Nanum (the Sistou of the 
French). This came to me, in 1S77, from the Pine 
Apple Nursery in the Edgware Road, London, with 
* Read at the National Chrysanthemum Society’s Conference, 
September lltli, 1SS9. 
