JOUBNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
401 
i^Iay  8,  1902;  - 
In  my  last  analysis  I  stat^ed  that  there  were  as  yet  no  signs 
'■of  the  leading  flower  in  the  table  of  Show  Dahlias,  Mrs.  Gladstone, 
being  superseded  byany  other  variety.  But  on  re-examining  the 
records  of  that  superb  yellow  Show  Dahlia  R.  T.  Rawlings  more 
closely  I  find  that  they  are  more  consistent  than  any  other 
variety  on  the  list,  and  that  twice  during  the  last  seven  years  it 
was  exhibited  more  frequently,  and  in  another  year  as  frequently, 
■  as  Mrs.  Gladstone.  Moreover,  unlike  the  premier  flower,  R.  T. 
Rawlings  is  now  as  often  shown  as  it  Avas  thirteen  years  ago, 
Avhereas  Mrs.  Gladstone  for  the  first  six  of  those  exhibitions, 
comes  out  Avith  an  aA'erage  annual  record  of  thirty-nine  times 
against  an  average  of  only  tAventy-eight  times  for  the  remaining 
seven  exhibitions.  So  that,  after  all,  there  are  indications,  and 
in  my  judgment  very  decided  ones,  of  R.  T.  RaAvlings  ultimately 
■outstripping  the  delicately  tinted  and  refined  Mrs.  Gladstone  in 
the  race  for  premier  honours.  Of  the  established  kinds  Avhich 
find  a  place  among  the  leading  tAveh’e  SIioavs  may  be  specially 
mentioned  another  very  consi.stent  A’ariety — Duchess  of  York. 
It  is  the  youngest  but  one  of  the  tAvelve,  and  has  gradually  been 
improving  its  position  in  the  analysis  until  it  has  uoav  risen  to 
the  fourth  place  in  the  table.  Among  other  A^arieties  Avhich  Avere 
last  year  unusually  Avell  represented  may  be  mentioned  Maud 
FelloAves  and  Mrs.  D.  Saunders,  Avhich  at  no  previous  exhibition 
have  been  as  frequently  staged,  Avhile  Prince  of  Denmark,  Willie 
Garratt,  Goldfinder,  and  those  tAvo  old  favourites,  the  Hon.  Mrs. 
P.  Wyndham  and  Henry  Walton  (once  the  leading  pair  in  the 
analysis)  have  seldom  been  as  often  exhibited.  On  the  other 
hand.  Colonist,  Arthur  RaAvlings,  and  Ethel  Britton  have  never 
before  been  as  sparsely  staged,  Avhile  William  Rawlings,  Harry 
Keith,  and  Mrs.  Langtry  Avere  also  to  be  seen  in  comparatively 
foAv  stands. 
Regret  must  again  be  expressed  at  the  feAV  neAV  SIioav  Dahlias 
to  be  found  in  the  table.  Classing  under  that  description  those 
Avhich  at  the  last  exhibition  Avere  five  or  less  years  old,  they  Avill 
be  found  to  be  six  in  number.  The  variety  standing  highest  on 
the  list  is  Dr.  Keynes  (No.  12),  an  1896  A-ariety,  which  has  risen 
three  places  since  the  last  analysis  Avas  issued.  The  other  three 
ShoAVS  of  the  same  year — Florence  Tranter  (No.  17),  Mabel 
■  Stanton  (No.  38),  and  Mrs.  Every  (No.  49)— have,  hoAvever,  since 
then  made  no  advance.  Daniel  Cornish,  sent  out  in  1897,  has 
done  Avell,  considering  its  youth,  in  rising  from  the  bottom  of 
the  list  to  No.  38.  The  remaining  A'ariety,  Muriel  Hobbs,  dis¬ 
tributed  in  1898,  has  also  slightly  improved  upon  its  previous 
position. 
Turning  uoav  to  the  table  of  Fancies,  Avhich,  unlike  the  SIioav 
varieties,  Avere  for  some  reason  staged  in  unusually  small 
numbers,  Ave  find  the  veteran  Rev.  J.  B.  M.  Camm  .still  heading 
the  list,  a  position  it  has  uoav  held  for  six  years.  But  the  SA;r- 
prising  feature  in  this  table  is  that,  notAvithstanding  the  poor 
shoAV  made  by  the  Fancy  Dahlias  generally,  one  of  their  number — 
Rev.  J.  B.  M.  Camm — has  only  once  before  been  as  largely 
represented  as  it  Avas  last  year,  Avhile  another  favourite  variety. 
Mrs.  Saunders,  has  not  appeared  in  as  many  stands  since  1892, 
and  only  once  before,  and  that  tAvelve  years  ago,  has  it  been 
more  numerously  staged.  Emin  Pasha,  Buffalo  Bill,  and  S. 
Mortimer  Avas  more  frequently  shoAvn  than  at  any  previous  exlii- 
bition.  On  the  other  hand,  Mrs.  John  DoAvnie,  Dorothy,  and 
T.  W.  Girdlestone  have  neA^er  before  been  staged  in  as  fe.Av 
stands.  The  only  neAv  variety  on  the  list  is  Watchman,  sent  out 
in  1899,  Avhich  AA^as  not  shoAvn  in  quite  as  many  stands  as  at  the 
preAUOus  exhibition. 
Pompon  Dahlias. 
These  tiny,  little  ShoAvs  and  Fancies  are  ahvays  most 
fa.scinating,  Avhether  as  they  appear  set  up  at  an  exhibition  or  as 
seen  groAving  in  the  garden,  on  account  of  their  perfection  of 
form  and  the  freedom  AAuth  AA’hich  the  floAvers  are  produced. 
There  has  ahvays  been  a  tendency  to  groAV  the  blooms  in  this 
section  too  large,  Avhereas  the  special  charm  consists  in  the 
refinement  of  their  miniature  floAvers.  By  discoui'aging  tlie 
exhibition  of  seedling  A^arieties  Avhich  are  lacking  in  form  or 
Avhich  are  larger  than  they  should  be,  the  National  Daldia 
Society  has,  I  consider,  been  largely  instrumental  in  bringing 
this  type  of  Dahlia  to  its  present  state  of  perfection.  The 
number  of  floAvers  staged  at  the  last  exhibition  Avas,  Avith  only 
tAvo  exceptions,  larger  than  at  any  previous  shoAv  the  Society 
has  yet  held. 
According  to  their  averages  for  the  last  four  exhibitions,  the 
best  varieties  arrange  themselves  as  folloAvs;  Bacchus,  Nerissa, 
Tommy  Keith,  Emily  Hopper,  Douglas,  Phoebe,  Whisper, 
Ganymede,  Sumiy  Daybreak,  Captain  Boyton,  G.  Brinckman, 
Dr.  Jim,  Demon,*  Lilian,  Madeline,*  Arthur  West,  Snowflake,* 
Hypatia,  Eurydice,  Donovan,  Vara,*  The  Duke,*  Clari.ssa, 
Ernest  Harper,  Adrienne,  and  Rosebud.  The  varieties  marked 
AA'ith  an  asterisk  Avere  sent  out  in  1899,  or  subsequently.  For 
general  cultivation  the  folloAAung  varieties  in  their  respectiAm 
colours  can  again  be  confidently  recommended :  White,  C. 
Brinckman ;  yellow,  Sunny  Daybreak,  Clarissa,  and  Whisper ; 
orange,  Phoebe;  rose  or  yirik,  Nerissa;  scarlet,  Bacchus;  crimson, 
Arthur  West;  maroon,  Douglas;  Fancy,  Tommy  Keith. 
Cactus  Dahlias. 
There  is  little  need  to  say  anything  in  the  Avay  of  praise  of 
the  Cactus  Dahlia  in  its  present  stage  of  development.  I  Avas 
going  to  add  because  its  beauties  are  too  Avell  knoAvn,  Avhereas 
the  finest  varieties  in  this  section  are  knoAvn  to  comparatiA’ely 
feAV  lovers  of  their  gardens.  And  I  do  not  think  the  reason  of 
this  need  be  far  to  seek.  It  is  no  doubt  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
true  Cactus  Dahlia  is  such  a  very  recent  creation  of  the  florist, 
Avhile  the  advances  it  has  made  the  last  feAv  years,  and  is  still 
making,  have  been  so  remarkably  rapid,  that  even  the  Dahlia 
experts  themselves  find  it  difficult  to  keep  in  touch  Avith  all  of 
them.  This  being  the  case,  only  those  amateurs  Avho  have  had 
their  special  attention  directed  to  the  modern  Cactus  Dahlia  can 
be  expected  to  keep  pace  Avith  the  A-arious  changes  that  are 
eA'ery  year  going  on.  In  the  folloAving  list  the  leading  varieties 
Avill  be  found  arranged  according  to  the  number  of  times  they 
were  staged  at  the  last  exhibition  of  the  National  Dahlia  Society, 
FANCY  DAHLIAS. 
Position  in  Present 
Analysis. 
Average  Number  of 
Times  Shown. 
No.  of  Times  Shown 
in  1901  in  True 
Relative  Proportion 
to  the  Average. 
Name. 
1 
20-() 
27 
Rev.  J.  B.  M.  Camm . 
*2 
17-4 
14 
Duchess  of  Albiny . 
3 
1()’5 
2.5 
Mrs.  Saunders . 
4 
15  0 
10 
Mrs.  John  Downie  . 
5 
14  0 
14 
Goldsmith . 
() 
12() 
15 
Matthew  Campbell . 
7 
11-5 
7 
Dorothy  . 
8 
11-0 
5 
T.  W.  Girdlestone  . 
9 
10  G 
15 
Emin  Pasha . 
9 
10-G 
!  7 
Frank  Pearce  . . 
11 
10-5 
!  16 
Buffalo  Bill  . . 
12 
9-4 
10 
Peacock  . 
13 
8-7 
14 
S.  IMortimer . . 
14 
8-5 
7 
Watchman  . 
15 
8-0 
() 
Rebecca . 
IG 
7-0 
12 
Dandy  . 
17 
G'3 
3 
Comedian . 
18 
5-5 
G 
Hercules  . 
Bate  of 
Introduction. 
Raiser’s 
or 
Introducer’s 
Name. 
Colour. 
1873 
Keynes  . 
YelloAV  and  red 
1884 
Turner  . 
Orange  and  crimson 
1872 
Turner  . 
YelloAv  and  white 
1889 
Turner  . . 
Orange  and  scarlet 
1895 
Keynes  . . . 
YelloAv,  stript-d  crimson 
1889 
Keynes  . 
Buff  and  crimson 
1888 
Keynes  . 
Fawn  and  maroon 
1890 
Keynes  . 
Lilac  and  maroon 
1894 
Keynes  . .  -  •  • 
Yellow,  striped  crimson 
188G 
Rawlings  . 
Rose,  striped  crimson 
1890 
Keynes  . 
Buff,  striped  vermilion 
1877 
Turner  . 
IMaroon  and  Avlhte 
1894 
IMortimer  . 
Rose,  striped  crimson 
1899 
Keynes  . 
Golden  yellow,  striped  crimfon 
1883 
Keynes  . 
Lilac  and  crimson 
1891 
Keyne.s  . 
Orange,  striped  crimson 
1892 
Keynes  . 
Orange  and  crimson 
1877 
Keynes  . 
YelloAv  and  crimson 
