134 THE FLORIST. 
thing fragrant, and pleasing to the eye. Even the Dahlia, that noble 
autumnal flower, must forsooth be pressed into the service; and if it 
is to be tolerated at all by our dedders, it must be only as a bedding 
flower. Thus a-great many will have no interest in a paper which 
only deals with a florist’s flower; but as the admirers of the Dahlia 
are numerous, and the growers of it scattered far and wide, perhaps a 
few words will interest them. In the former papers, I had too a 
personal interest. I grew the flowers, and therefore selected for my 
own growth, as well as for the guidance of others. In the present 
instance, I write of a flower which I greatly admire indeed, but which 
makes demands on one’s time and labour I am unable to give it, and 
which therefore after one season’s trial I have been forced to 
relinquish the growth of. Each season brings a large addition to 
the list of Dahlias, and each season as surely sees a number of 
them consigned to the rubbish hole. I do not think that this 1s 
exclusively to. be attributed to exaggerated ideas of their value, enter- 
tained by raisers of seedlings, though I am free to confess that the 
proverb of every man’s own “ geese being swans’” is too often realized ; 
but it is also to. be remembered that~no flower is more capricious than 
the Dahlia—none on which season and locality have so great an effect. 
Varieties which have succeeded admirably in one garden, failing alto- 
gether in one a few miles off; but withal, it is curious to look. over the 
catalogues of Dahlias, and see how, year after year, kinds, whose advent 
was heralded by a great flourish of trumpets, are now completely put 
out of the list, and more unmistakeably so in the lists of winning 
stands; but few of the older flowers stand their ground, their ose 
being completely put out of joint by new candidates for public 
favour, the result is, that in some colours : perfection has been. almost 
attained, while in others there is: still room for improvement; for not 
only must one have colour, and form and size, but also constancy. It 
is of little use either for ornament or exhibition to have a variety that 
will give you one perfect bloom in a dozen. What is wanted, is, a regular 
series of good blooms. Having had the opportunity of seeing most of 
the new flowers of last year in growth in various localities, I now give 
the result of opinions formed on them :— 
Brentford Hero (Hopkins), puce with bronze tip, too thin, and consequently 
only a second-rate 
Chairman (Turner), yellowish buff. I think. that for beauty, of form and 
constancy this may be pronounced the best Dahlia yet raised. I have heard 
a complaint against it, that it has too many small central petals, but this 
only is the case when the plant is young; but you may be always ‘sure of 
good blooms on the plants . ~ 
Disraeli i he bright orange scarlet, plants too large, and flower too open; will 
not ao : 
Daughter of the Morning (Rawlings), buff, not equal to Lollipop, which it 
resembles in colour 
eae (Fellowes), crimson, a well-built flower, constant, and in every respect 
00 
Golden Drop (Keynes), deep yellow, and of great size; it is perhaps rather 
inclined to be coarse, but judicious management in thinning may to a great 
extent remedy this 
Grand Master (Keynes), orange, will not stand, far too open 
John Dory (Holmes), full flower, yellow, fine habit, but too late for early showing 
