Sept. 13tb, 1884. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
With the purchase of that variety there may be 
said to have come to a close the practice of paying 
very high prices for Dahlias. On the other hand, 
some very fine and popular Dahlias in the past sold 
for very small sums of money. 
Among the fine show flowers exhibited at the 
Crystal Palace on Saturday last, were the follow¬ 
ing Mrs. Gladstone, a lovely new light flower of 
great beauty and delicacy; Lord Chelmsford, Lady 
Wimborne, Lady Gladys’ Herbert, Acme of Per¬ 
fection, Alexander Cramond, Imperial, Julia Wyatt, 
John Ashby, George Eawlings, Sunbeam, J. B. 
Service, Cardinal, Henry Bond, Hope, Mrs. Harris, 
Ethel Britton, Herbert Turner, Clara, Enchantress, 
Mrs. P. Wyndham, Hugh Austin, Mrs. Foreman, 
Condor, Delight, Miss Connell, Henry Walton, and 
John Neville Keynes. Now the best forty-eight 
Show Dahlias came from Mr. Charles Turner, Eoyal 
Nursery, Slough; and the second best from Messrs. 
Keynes, Williams, & Co., Salisbury; and the 
varieties just named were the very best in the two 
stands. They make up an excellent selection of 
twenty-nine fine varieties. Add to these the follow¬ 
ing seven sorts, viz. — Burgundy, Constancy, 
James Cocker, Joseph Green, Mrs. Stancombe, Eev. 
J. Goodday, and Thomas Goodwin, and there is 
obtained a group of thirty-six varieties that may be 
taken as forming the nucleus of a most useful 
collection. 
FANCY DAHLIAS. 
The Fancy Dahlias are always very attractive, 
and it is no wonder that people looking upon the 
show and fancy flowers, are found asking what is 
the difference between them ? Let us try to throw 
a little light upon this knotty subject, but it may 
be stated at the outset that some of the exhibitors 
of Fancy Dahlias on Saturday last, appeared to have 
adopted the practice of exhibiting, as fancies, 
flowers that sorely puzzled the judges. Now, there 
are self-coloured, shaded, and tipped, or edged, 
flowers among what are known as Show Dahlias. 
But it may be asked, are not tipped dahlias fancy 
varieties P Yes, there are tipped Dahlias among the 
fancies; there are tipped Show, and tipped Fancy 
Dahlias also. We will try and make the distinction 
as clear as we can, but before doing so it may be 
stated that so little is the distinction between 
Show and Fancy Dahlias understood, that at some 
country shows it is usual to exhibit all tipped 
dahlias as fancy flowers. Now let me try to make 
clear—as clearly as it can be set forth—what, in the 
opinion of the florist, constitutes a Fancy Dahlia. 
“To the composition of a Fancy Dahlia, two. (or 
more) distinct colours are essential, if the varie¬ 
gation is in the form of stripes or flakes, as in the 
Carnation. This arrangement of colours, whether 
the light or the dark preponderate, is in itself 
t ufficient to constitute the sub-division distinguished 
as striped Fancy Dahlias ; but if the variegation 
consists in the edges or tops of the florets differing 
from the general or ground colour, then the relative 
position of the colours determines whether the in¬ 
dividual is a Fancy flower or otherwise. Thus, a 
white, yellow, or any pale variety, edged, tipped, or 
laced with a dark colour, after the manner of the 
Picotee, is denominated simply an edged, tipped, 
or laced Dahlia ; but when this disposition of colours 
is reversed— i.e., when the florets of a dark flower 
are tipped, etc., with a light colour, the variety so 
marked is termed a tipped Fancy Dahlia.” This is 
the best definition I am able to give, I hope it may 
prove intelligible to the readers of these remarks. 
The difficulty of setting up a well-defined line of 
division increases year by year. 
Visitors to Dahlia Shows always appear to be 
much attracted by the pretty and eccentric Fancy 
Dahlias; the flowers are livelier in colour than the 
more sober looking show varieties. The best 24 
blooms were shown by Messrs. Keynes & Co., Salis¬ 
bury, and the following in their collection were 
particularly good :—Eebecca, Chorister, General 
Gordon (new), Mons. Chauviere, Fanny Sturt, Mrs. 
N. Halls, Frederick Smith, Miss A. Melsome, yellow, 
tipped with white, a lovely flower when in good 
character; Maid of Athens, James O'Brien, and 
the Eev. J. B. M. Camm. Mr. Turner was 2nd 
with fine blooms of Peacock, Florence Stark, Miss 
Browning, W. G. Head (new), Annie Pritchard, and 
Mr. Saunders. Add to these, George Barnes, Henry 
Glasscock, John Forbes, Lady Antrobus, Miss Lily 
Large, Professor Fawcett, Queen Mab, and Sam 
Bartlett, and there is placed before our readers as 
good a collection of varieties in this section as they 
could desire. Sometimes the Fancy varieties will 
sport to self-coloured flowers, and then they can be 
shown among the self-coloured flowers in the Show 
Section. They are often very handsome in the self¬ 
form. As some fine new Dahlias were shown on this 
occasion, they must be mentioned in this relation. 
First-class Certificates of merit were awarded to the 
following :—Mrs. Langtry, buff ground, the centre 
pale yellow, florets edged with bright red and 
maroon ; a very fine variety, with a high centre, 
fine pip and outline, and quite distinct. This comes 
into the show class. The following Fancy Varieties 
were also honoured :—Eomeo, buff yellow ground, 
colour suffused with dark cinnamon, and striped 
with crimson, good petal, centre and outline very 
fine; and General Gordon, deep yellow, heavily 
flaked with orange-red, fine form, good petal and 
outline. The foregoing were shown by Messrs. 
Keynes, Williams, & Co., of Salisbury. There 
were a few other new varieties, but they were 
wanting in the high quality of those above named. 
Then it fell to the lot of the judges to select the 
Premier Show and ihe Premier Fancy Dahlias, and 
they had a wide field before them, for they had to 
be selected from the whole show. But there was 
little doubt about the former. A truly magnificent 
bloom of Mrs. Gladstone, shown by Mr. Henry 
Glasscock, of Bishop’s Stortford, had attracted 
general attention; a lovely delicate soft pink 
flower with a creamy centre ; simply perfect because 
so clear, symmetrical, and well formed. This is a 
new variety sent out last spring by Mr. C. Turner, 
of Slough. There was a run between a fine bloom 
of Flora Wyatt, shown by Mr. J. Tranter, of Upper 
Assenden, Henley-on-Thames, and a glorious bloom 
of General Gordon, shown by Messrs. Keynes & 
Co. in their first prize, twenty-four blooms; 
ultimately the high distinction of premier honours 
went to the latter, and it was well deserved. 
SINGLE DAHLIAS. 
Of Single Dahlias, there was an enormous 
quantity of all sorts and sizes. They made a pretty 
display, being shown in bunches of ten blooms. 
Eeally, this is too many, for it crowds the bunches 
too much; six or seven blooms would make far 
prettier floral morsels. One firm, Messrs. J. 
Lamont & Co., of Edinburgh, showed a dozen or 
fifteen flowers in a bunch, and were disqualified. 
Now, the Single Dahlias are becoming far too large, 
many of the flowers shown at the Crystal Palace 
were ungainly; as a matter of course there is a 
natural tendency on the part of Seedling Dahlias 
to increase in size. A reaction will soon set in 
against them, if it has not already commenced. I 
hear of many who are tiring of them, who say that 
they are fleeting in character, and monotonous in 
appearance. As a matter of course, our leading 
nurserymen made a great display, and in the class 
for twelve bunches, Mr. C. Turner was first with 
fine examples of Ellen Terry, soft mauve ; Paragon, 
with its rich maroon petals, feathered with purple 
crimson ; W. G. Head ; Alba, white ; Harlequin, deep 
rose, striped with nurple; Evening Star, bright 
crimson ; Duchess of Westminster, pure white ; and 
Queen of Singles, rich magenta, suffused with rose. 
Messrs. Keynes, Williams, & Co., were placed 
second. They had excellent blooms of Acquisition, 
crimson with scarlet bars ; Beauty of Cambridge, 
fiery crimson ; Fire King, rich crimson ; Mauve 
Queen Improved, very fine ; Negress, dark velvety 
maroon ; Eosy Circle, bright rose ; and the fine old 
Paragon. The very best bunch of Single Dahlias in 
the show was Paragon, in the stand of Messrs. J. 
Lamont & Co., and we never before saw this 
fine old variety to such great advantage. When it 
is remembered that it was in cultivation some time 
before 1830, one wonders how it was it reappeared, 
and by whom it was preserved, to make a greater 
noise fifty years afterwards, than it did when 
cultivated by our forefathers as a Show flower. 
It will never be improved upon,—it is the bean ideal 
of a Single Dahlia for all time. 
A word of high praise is due to Mr. T. S. Ware, 
2D 
for his stand of what he calls “Stellate” Dahlias. 
They are all small-flowered varieties, pretty little 
floral darlings, that are just the size for floral 
decorations of all kinds. Let Mr. Ware stick to 
these, and he will drive all the overgrown single 
forms out of the field. Among them was the pretty 
pink-coloured Galbraith, quite distinct, and utterly 
unlike anything else in the show. And there was 
also what is known as Dahlia Zimparii (Bidens 
atrosanguinea), with its sub-maroon flowers, with 
their dark centres, looking far more like a rich 
coloured single Zinnca. I never before saw it finer 
than Mr. Ware had it on this occasion. But it is 
not every one who can grow it. It needs to be 
treated as a half-hardy annual, and raised from 
seed every year. It is very difficult indeed to get 
propagated plants to grow. If it puzzle3 Mr. Ware 
to do so, how can the rank and file of amateur 
gardeners hope to succeed in a matter that appears 
too much for one of their leading floral strategists 't 
BOUQUET DAHLIAS. 
The Pompon Dahlias—Bouquet Dahlias, as they 
are frequently called—were delightful, but, like the 
single forms, they are becoming too large. But one 
may rely upon it, popular opinion is coming round, 
gradually and surely, to a recognition of the Bouquet 
Dahlias as more valuable than the single forms for 
cutting purposes. I am quite prepared to be put 
into the pilloi'y as a floral heretic, but I hold that 
opinion. We got the cream of the varieties in the 
two stands set up by Messrs. C. Turner and Keynes 
& Co., in the class for 24 varieties. But here also 
ten flowers made an ungainly instead of an elegant 
bunch. Slough triumphed over Salisbury in this 
class also, but it was a good fight. In Mr. 
Turner’s stand were Gem, rich scarlet; Lady 
Blanche, white; Favourite, dark mai-oon; E. F. 
Jungker, amber, distinct, and very pretty; Hedwig 
Pollwiz, orange scarlet, tipped with white; Cupid, 
white and rose; Little Bobby, rich crimson; Com- 
tesse Yon Sternberg, yellow and white, very pretty; 
Mabel, lilac; White Aster, a charming white 
variety; Fair Helen, white, slightly fringed with 
lilac, very pretty; Nymph, yellow tipped with red ; 
Prince of Lilliputians, very dark maroon; and 
Titania, yellow, with bronze tip. In Messrs. Keynes 
& Co’s collection were White Button; Nemesis, 
maroon, sometimes tipped with white ; Dora, yellow 
and white; Sappho, dark crimson; Eoyalty, Golden 
Gem, Little Princess, white tipped with rose ; Dark¬ 
ness, deep maroon; and Brunette, rich shaded 
crimson. 
Let me gratefully acknowledge that many other 
exhibitors, nurserymen, and amateurs showed finely 
in the classes, but space will not allow of my enter¬ 
ing into the usual monotonous details. And I must 
not omit to record that the Veitch Memorial Prize 
for Twelve Show and Six Fancy Dahlias was 
awarded to Mr. Henry Glasscock, of Bishop's Stort¬ 
ford, than whom there does not exist a more pains¬ 
taking and enthusiastic amateur cultivator of the 
Dahlia. No one grudged him his well-merited 
honour. As he stated, it was a series of daily 
attentions, given without stint, from the time 
the plants were placed in the open ground till the 
flowers were placed on the exhibition table, that 
gained him the victory on which lie had set his 
heart.— B. D. 
The Imperial Lemon. —The August number of 
the Florist and Fomoligist contains a beautiful 
coloured portrait of this fruit, accompanied by the 
following remarks from the pen of Mr. T. Francis 
Elvers, of Sawbridgeworth :—“ The Imperial Lemon 
is a very large and highly-perfumed variety of 
Citrus Limonum. Eisso and Poiteaux cite five 
varieties, but I do not find one answering to the 
description of the ‘Imperial,’ and it is possible 
that it may have been introduced since the time of 
these writers. The plant is very robust, and near 
Torquay it has been cultivated on a wall for some 
years, bearing abundant crops of fine fruit. In 
this part of England glass is, of course, necessary, 
but a winter heat of 40 Fah. at the lowest point is 
sufficient. As a trained tree, with care and good 
cultivation, large crops may be obtained. The fine 
flavour and perfume of the fruit renders its cultiva¬ 
tion a source of great pleasure, if not of profit.” 
