312 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  20,  1899. 
When  I  first  began  these  Dahlia  analyses  I  was  under  the 
impression  that  the  greater  the  number  of  exhibitions  for  which  I 
had  records  available  the  more  trustworthy  would  be  the  averages 
obtained,  and  therefore  the  more  accurately  could  the  different 
varieties  be  placed  in  the  tables.  But  after  a  time  I  began  to  see 
that  with  very  few  exceptions  it  would  not  do  to  compare  the 
doings  of  any  one  variety  for  an  unlimited  number  of  years  if  the 
best  and  most  comparable  results  were  to  be  obtained.  For  not  only 
do  even  the  choicest  established  varieties,  as  will  be  seen  later  on, 
vary  in  the  estimation  of  exhibitors  as  time  goes  on,  but  the  claims 
of  the  new  comers,  with  their  shorter  records,  have  also  to  be 
considered.  In  the  present  analysis  all  the  varieties  in  the  Show  and 
Fancy  tables  which  will  allow  of  this  being  done,  and  they  comprise 
more  than  half  the  Shoev  varieties  in  the  table,  depend  for  their 
positions  upon  their  average  records  for  the  last  eight  exhibitions. 
For  the  thirteenth  year  in  succession  Mrs.  Gladstone  heads  the 
list  of  Show  Dahlias.  This  grand  variety  has  not  been,  however,  so 
frequently  staged  in  recent  years  as  it  was  formerly,  the  average 
number  of  times  it  was  set  up  at  the  last  six  exhibifions  being  thirty- 
one,  against  forty-one  at  the  previous  six  shows.  Moreover,  only 
once  before  since  it  was  first  largely  exhibited  in  1886  has  it  been 
as  iudiuerenlly  shown  as  it  was  last  year ;  but  notwithstanding  this 
decline  in  favour  in  recent  years,  and  notwithstanding  its  poor  appear¬ 
ance  in  1C98,  there  was  no  other  Show  Dahlia  to  be  seen  at  the  last 
exhibition  in  as  many  stands.  R.  T.  Rawlings,  the  only  possible 
rival  to  the  leading  flower,  was  also  indifferently  represented.  John 
Walker,  too,  was  not  nearly  as  often  staged  as  usual — in  fact,  there 
were  but  few  varieties  in  this  section  which  appeared  in  exceptional 
force.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  J.  T.  West,  William  Powell, 
Arthur  Ocock,  Victor,  Goldfinder,  and  Crimson  King.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  following  sorts  were  not  only  less  frequently  staged  than 
usual,  but  have  never  before  been  as  sparsely  shown  at  any  of  the  last 
eight  exhibitions : — R.  T.  Rawlings,  W.  Rawlings,  Colonist,  Willie 
Garratt,  Harrison  Weir,  Shirley  Hibberd,  Mrs.  Morgan,  and  Prince 
Bismarck. 
In  looking  'through  my  working  tables  of  comparative  records) 
which  now  covers  the  last  sixteen  National  Dahlia  Shows,  it  is 
interesting  to  notice  how  certain  varieties  become  less  popular  as 
exhibition  flowmrs  as  years  go  on,  while  a  few  others  either  remain 
stationary,  or  have  been  in  recent  years  rather  more  frequently  shown 
than  they  were  in  the  early  half  of  the  period.  I,  of  course,  refer 
here  only  to  varieties  which  have  been  in  general  cultivation  through¬ 
out  the  whole  of  the  sixteen  years.  Taking,  first,  those  Show 
FANCY 
Dahlias  which  may  be  regarded  as  decidedly  on  the  down  grade. 
Among  these  must  be  included  Henry  Walton  (1873),  Prince  of 
Denmark  (1881),  Hon.  Mrs.  P.  Wyndham  (1881),  Goldfinder  (1881), 
Burgundy  (1877),  John  Standish  (1872),  and  Prince  Bismarck  (1879)  ; 
while  James  Cocker  (1871),  Ethel  Britton  (1880),  and  Shirley  Hib¬ 
berd  (1881)  are  nearly  as  largely  grown  as  formerly.  William 
Rawlings  (1881)  stands  out  as  unique  in  that,  although  sent  out  as 
I  early  as  1881,  it  has  been  staged  more  frequently  in  recent  years  than 
j  formerly,  the  exact  figures  being  an  average  of  twenty-three  times  for 
the  last  eight  years,  as  compared  with  twenty-one  times  for  the  eight 
previous  exhibitions.  How  few  other  florists’  flowers  are  there  which 
will  bear  a  similar  examination  to  the  foregoing — taking  into  con¬ 
sideration  the  number  of  varieties  mentioned  and  the  length  of  time 
over  which  their  records  exteud. 
The  progress  made  in  this  section  is  not  so  great  as  formerly.  For 
instance,  going  back  six  years  there  are  only  nine  sorts  on  the  list 
which  are  less  than  seven  years  old,  and  of  these  only  three  find  places 
among  the  first  twenty-five  varieties.  Of  the  nine  sorts  in  question, 
Virginale,  sent  out  in  1893,  has  risen  since  last  j’ear  from  No.  48  to 
No.  39,  while  Mrs.  Morgan,  of  the  same  year,  has  fallen  from  No.  35 
to  No.  43.  Among  the  1894  varieties  is  found  the  most  promising  of 
all  the  newer  Show  Dahlias — Duchess  of  York.  It  has  not  improved 
on  the  good  position  (No.  7)  it  secured  in  the  previous  analysis,  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  at  each  of  the  last  three  exhibitions  there  were 
only  four  other  sorts  as  frequently  shown.  Warrior,  another  1894 
variety,  on  its  first  appearance  in  the  table,  secures  a  place  at  No.  29, 
while  Chieftain  (No.  30)  was  not  quite  as  well  represented  as  in  the 
previous  year.  The  only  1895  Show  Dahlia,  Shotesham  Hero,  no 
doubt  owing  to  the  adverse  character  of  the  season,  was  only  staged 
in  seven  stands,  as  compared  with  eighteen  in  1897.  The  1896 
varieties,  considering  their  youth,  already  occupy  very  good  positions, 
Fkrence  Tranter  having  risen  since  last  year  from  No.  27  to  No.  19 
while  Dr.  Keynes  makes  its  debut  at  No.  26.  The  only  1897  variety 
in  the  table,  Daniel  Cornish,  secures  a  place  at  No.  50. 
Turning  next  to  the  Fancies,  we  still  find  that  remarkable  variety 
Rev.  J.  B.  M.  Camm  at  the  head  of  the  poll.  In  1897,  although  then 
in  its  twenty-fifth  year,  it  not  only  distanced  all  other  competitors, 
but  was  to  be  seen  in  more  stands  than  at  any  other  show  in  the 
sixteen  years.  At  the  first  eight  exhibitions  during  that  period  it 
was  staged  on  an  average  fifteen  times,  and  at  the  last  eight  twenty-one 
times — which  certainly  indicates  an  unusually  vigorous  constitution, 
as  well  as  a  decided  rise  than  a  decline  in  favour — at  all  events  from 
an  exhibitor’s  point  of  view.  It  was,  however,  not  quite  in  such 
DAHLIAS. 
Position  in  Present 
Analysis. 
Average  Number  of 
Times  Shown. 
No.  of  Times  Shown 
in  1898  in  True 
Relative  Proportion 
to  the  Average. 
Name. 
Date  of 
Introduction. 
Raiser’s 
or 
Introducer’s 
Name. 
Colour. 
1 
21-3 
18 
Rev.  J.  B.  M.  Camm, . 
1873 
Keynes  . 
Yellow  and  red 
2 
18-9 
23 
Duchess  of  Albany  . 
1884 
Turner  . 
Orange  and  crimson 
3 
17-5 
17 
Mrs.  Saunders  . 
1872 
Turner  . . 
Yellow  and  white 
4 
16T 
11 
Mrs.  John  Downie  . 
1889 
Turner  . 
Orange  and  scarlet 
6 
14-0 
10 
Matthew  Campbell  . 
1889 
Keynes  . 
Buff  and  crimson 
6 
13-5 
7 
Prank  Pearce . 
1886 
Rawlings  . 
Rose,  striped  crimson 
7 
12' 2 
6 
T.  W.  Girdlestone . 
1890 
Keynes  . 
Lilac  and  maroon 
« 
12-1 
9 
Dorothy . 
1888 
Keynes  . 
Fawn  and  maroon 
9 
10-3 
14 
Buffalo  Bill  . 
1890 
Keynes  . 
Buff,  striped  vermilion 
10 
9-3 
9 
Emin  Pasha  . 
1894 
Keynes  . 
Yellow,  striped  crimson 
11 
9T 
11 
Peacock  . . 
1877 
Turner  . 
ATarortn  and  whif.A 
12 
8-1 
7 
Rebecca  . . . 
18S3 
Keynes  . 
Keynes  . . 
Lilac  and  crimson 
13 
*8-0 
8 
Goldsmith  . 
1895 
Yellow,  striped  crimson 
14 
7-8 
7 
S.  Mortimer  . 
1894 
Mortimer  . 
Rose,  striped  crimson 
15 
7-5 
2 
Comedian  . 
1892 
Keynes  . 
Orange  and  crimson 
16 
6-4 
4 
Henry  Eckford  . 
1886 
Rawlings  . 
Vcllftw  and  rpd 
17 
6-3 
8 
Dandy . 
1891 
Keynes  . . 
Orange,  striped  crimson 
18 
5-5 
7 
Dazzler  . 
1893 
Keynes  . 
Yellow,  striped  scarlet 
*  A  new  variety,  the  position  of  which  is  dependent  on  its  record  for  the  1898  show  only. 
