254 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  24,  1898. 
Pompons  also  appeared  in  unusual  force,  while  the  Cactus  varieties 
have  never  before  been  as  well  or  as  numerously  shown.  The  intro¬ 
duction  of  this  popular  type,  and  the  great  improvement  that  is  being 
made  in  it  year  by  year,  has  undoubtedly  given  the  Dahlia  a  fresh 
lease  of  life  as  a  flower,  whether  for  exhibition  purposes  or  for  ordinary 
garden  decoration,  and  has  at  the  same  time  considerably  added  to  the 
general  interest  in  its  cultivation. 
The  following  short  table  will  show  the  number  of  blooms  and 
bunches  set  up  in  competition  at  the  last  five  exhibitions  of  the 
National  Dahlia  Society,  and  will  serve  to  confirm  the  remarks  that 
have  previously  been  made  as  to  the  extensive  character  of  the  last 
show  held  by  the  Society. 
Shows  (No.  of  blooms)  . 
Fancies  „  „ 
Pompons  (No.  of  bunches) . 
Cactus  and  Decorative  (No.  bnchs.) 
Singles  (No.  of  bunches)  . 
1893 
1894 
1895 
1896 
1897 
720 
894 
827 
798 
930 
270 
301 
287 
276 
312 
168 
192 
210 
192 
234 
264 
246 
280 
220 
432 
128 
138 
102 
126 
116 
In  the  above  statement  the  number  of  flowers  staged  in  the  classes 
set  apart  for  three  or  more  blooms  of  any  variety  is  not  included. 
It  is  now  twelve  years  since  Mrs.  Gladstone  assumed  the  lead  of 
the  Show  Dahlias  in  this  analysis,  and  during  the  whole  of  that  period 
its  position  as  the  premier  variety  has  never  been  seriously  threatened. 
At  several  exhibitions  either  John  Walker  or  P.  T.  Rawlings  have 
been  more  numerously  staged,  hut  the  more  consistent  form  of  IMrs. 
Gladstone  has  enabled  it  to  maintain  the  decided  advantage  it 
secured  at  the  time  of  its  first  appearance  over  all  its  rivals.  John 
Walker,  owing  to  the  comparatively  small  number  of  stands  in  which 
it  appeared  at  the  last  show,  has  had  to  give  up  the  second  place  on 
the  list  in  favour  of  R.  T.  Rawlings,  which  was  more  largely  shown 
than  in  any  previous  year — ^in  fact,  exactly  the  same  number  of  times 
as  the  leading  flower.  William  Rawlings  and  Mrs.  Langtry,  both 
very  dependable  varieties,  were  also  unusually  well  shown.  Among 
other  varieties  which  were  last  year  staged  more  frequently  than 
usual  may  be  mentioned  Harrison  Weir,  Miss  Cannell,  Glowworm, 
Mr.  Glasscock,  and  Victor. 
On  the  other  hand,  we  have  to  go  back  to  the  year  of  its  intro¬ 
duction  in  order  to  find  John  Walker  as  poorly  represented.  Harry 
Keith,  James  Cocker,  Ethel  Britton,  John  Hickling,  Willie  Garratt, 
Henry  Walton,  Prince  of  Denmark,  and  Gold  finder,  to  say  nothing  of 
other  varieties  lower  down  on  the  list,  were  but  indifferently  shown. 
SHOW  DAHLIAS. 
Position  in  Present 
Analysis. 
Average  Number  of 
Times  Shown. 
No.  of  Times  Shown 
in  1897  in  True 
Relative  Proportion 
to  the  Average. 
Name.  , 
Date  of 
Introduction. 
Raiser’s 
or 
Introducer’s 
Name. 
V 
Colour. 
1 
35-9 
38 
< 
Mrs.  Gladstone . 
1884 
Hurst  . 
Pale  blush 
O 
26'7 
33 
R.  T.  Rawlings . 
1886 
Rawlings  . 
Clear  yellow 
3 
26-0 
16 
•John  Walker . 
1892 
Walker  . 
White" 
4 
24-7 
26 
William  Rawlings . 
1881 
Rawlings  . 
Crimson  purple 
5 
23‘4 
26 
Mrs.  T.angtry  . 
1885 
Keynes  . 
Cream  and  crimson 
6 
23-0 
22 
Colonist . rT . 
1887 
Keynes  . 
Chocolate  and  lawn 
6 
23-0* 
23 
Duchess  of  York  . 
1894 
Keynes  . 
Lemon,  edged  salmon  pink 
8 
22-5 
17 
Harry  Keith . 
1886 
Keynes  . . 
Rosy  purple 
9 
19-7 
19 
J.  T.  West . 
1887 
Rawlings  . 
Yellow  and  purple 
10 
18-0 
15 
Arthur  Rawlings . 
1892 
West  . 
Deep  crimson 
10 
1 8-0* 
18 
Shotesham  Hero  . 
1895 
Fellowes . 
White,  tipped  and  shaded  rose 
12 
17-0 
14 
James  Cocker  . 
1871 
Keynes  . 
Purple 
13 
16-6 
17 
Maud  Fellowes . 
1889 
Fellowes . 
Pale  pink,  shaded  purple 
14 
|16-2 
17 
Duke  of  Fife . 
1890 
Keynes  . 
Rich  cardinal 
15 
16-1 
7 
Ethel  Britton . 
1880 
Keynes  . 
White  and  purple 
16 
15'8 
11 
.lohn  Hickling  . 
1890 
Keynes  . 
Clear  bright  yellow 
17 
15*6 
12 
Willie  Garratt  . 
1837 
Garratt  . 
Bright  cardinal 
18 
15-2 
11 
Henry  Walton  . 
1873 
Keynes  . 
Pale  yellow  and  scarlet 
19 
15-() 
18 
Harrison  Weir  . 
1883 
Rawlings  . 
Yellow 
20 
14-9 
14 
Mrs.  W.  Slack  . 
1886 
Keynes  . 
Blush  white  and  purple 
21 
14-5 
14 
William  Powell . 
1892 
West  . 
Primrose  yellow 
22 
13-3 
13 
Shirley  Hibberd  . 
1881 
Rawlings . 
Dark  crimson 
23 
ll3-0 
15 
Miss  Cannell . 
1881 
Eckford  . 
Cream  and  crimson 
24 
12-6 
11 
T.  iT.  Saltmarsh . 
1885 
Rawlings  . 
Y^ellow  and  chestnut 
25 
11-8 
9 
Arthur  Ocock  . 
1892 
Rawlings  . 
Reddish  orange 
26 
11-4 
9 
Prince  of  Denmark  . 
1881 
Fellowes . 
Dark  maroon 
27 
lO'O* 
10 
Chieftain  . 
1894 
Keynes  . 
Purplish  lilac 
27 
10-0* 
10  ■ 
Florence  Tranter  . 
1896 
Tranter  . 
Blush  white,  edged  rosy  purple 
29 
9-9 
9 
Hon.  Mrs.  P.  Wyndham . 
1881 
Keynes  ... . . 
Pale  yellow  and  rose 
30 
9-8 
8 
Maiestic . 
1890 
Keynes  . 
White,  edffed  turple 
31 
9T 
9 
George  Kawlings . 
1882 
Rawlings  . 
Dark  maroon 
32 
8-9 
5 
Goldfi^nder . . . 
1881 
Fellowes . 
Yellow  and  red 
33 
8-7 
10 
Glowworm . 
1889 
Turner  . 
Bright  orange  scarlet 
33 
8-7 
6 
Mrs.  D.  Saunders . 
1888 
Rawlings  . 
Pale,  edged  rose 
35 
8-7 
8 
Mrs.  Morgan . 
1893 
Fellowes . 
Pale  ground,  tinted  rosy  purple 
36 
8*1 
10 
Mr.  Glasscock  . 
1886 
Rawlings  . 
Purple 
37 
7-8 
6 
Alice  Emilv  . 
1890 
Keynes  . 
Buff  yellow 
37 
7-8 
9 
Perfection . 
1889 
Fellowes  . 
Oranee  bull 
39 
7-7 
5 
John  Standish  . 
1872 
Turner  . 
Crimson 
40 
7-6 
7 
Earl  of  Ravensworth  . 
1883 
Harkness  . 
Lilac 
41 
7-5 
11 
Victor . 
1887 
Keynes  . 
Dark  maroon 
42 
7-4 
8 
William  Keith  . 
1888 
West  . 
Dark  plum 
43 
7-3 
3 
Burgundy  . 
1877 
Turner  . 
Dark  puce 
43 
7-3 
7 
Crimson  King  . 
1887 
Keynes  . 
Deep  crimson  scarlet 
43 
7-3 
3 
Queen  of  the  Belgians . 
1887 
Rawlings  . 
Cream  and  pink 
46 
6-7 
9 
Prince  Bismarck  . 
1879 
Fellowes . 
Puce 
47 
6-3 
5 
Joseph  Ashby  . 
1879 
Turner  . 
Shaded  orange 
48 
5*5 
8 
Virginale  . 
1893 
Keynes  . 
Blush  white,  edged  pink 
49 
5-0 
3 
Norma  . 
1894 
Turner  . 
Bright  orange  buff 
*  New  varieties,  the  positions  of  which  are  dependant  on  their  records  at  the  1897  show  only. 
