February  21,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
147 
'NOVELTIES  AND  SPECIALITIES  for  1901 
TKii 
»  jj 
lit  il 
[m 
UY!i 
kster  sinensis,  a  lovely  single  Aster  from  China,  with 
large,  handsome  flowers  of  a  delicate  mauve  with  yellow 
■  disc,  bushy,  branching  habit,  height  15  inches. 
,  „  Per  packet,  6d.  &  1/-. 
■Lquilegia,  Barr’s  Extra  Selected  Hybrids,  containing' 
large  flowers  of  beautiful  form  and  colouring,  including 
the  beautiful  long-spurred  varieties,  h.  p.  Per  pkt.,  2/e. 
jSelosia  plumosa,  Barr’s  Choice  Mixture,  handsome 
feathery  plumes,  of  brilliant  colours,  h.h.a. 
_  ,  Per  packet,  6d.  &  1/-. 
JBeracleum  purpureum,  a  grand  stately  plant,  with 
handsome  foliage  and  purple-haired  stems,  hardy 
t  biennial,  ht.  6ft.  Per  packet,  1/6. 
npinus  arboreus,  Snow  Queen,  a  lovely  white  Tree 
Lupin,  flue  novelty,  hardy  perennial.  Per  pkt.,  1/-  &  1/ri. 
[ignonette,  Barr’s  Covent  Garden  Favourite,  the 
finest  Mignonette  for  pots  or  borders,  large  handsome 
heads  of  bloom,  deliciously  fragrant.  Per  pkt.,  6d.  &  1/  . 
;  .Nicotiana  sylvestris,  a  fine  white-flowered,  sweet-scented 
■  Tobacco, with  handsome  foliage,  h.h.a.  Perpkt.,6d.  &  1/  . 
-  Phacelia  campanularia,  one  of  the  most  lovely  blue 
flowers  in  cubivation,  h.a.,  ht.  8in.  Per  pkt.,  6d.  &  1/-. 
Poppy,  Empress  of  China,  beautiful  single  flowers, 
snow  white,  with  a  fringed  margin  of  brilliant  crimson- 
■  scarlet,  hardy  annual,  ht,  2ft.  Per  packet,  6d. 
Poppy  Oriental,  mixed  new  varieties,  stately  plants, 
IB  with  gorgeously-coloured  Howers  Per  pkt..  6d.  <fc  1/-. 
I  - Poppy,  Shirley.  “Long  Ditton,”  extra  selected  strain 
.'  of  this  beautiful  Poppy,  h.a..  ht.  lft.  Per  packet,  1/-. 
,The  Chinese  Star  Primrose  (Primula  stellata),  a  most 
beautiful  and  graceful  pot  plant,  easily  grown,  for 
greenhouse  or  sitting-room  decoration. 
Purple,  per  pkt.,  !/• ;  White,  per  pH.,  1/6. 
|f  BARR’S  SEED  GUIDE  contains  a  select  List  of  the  best 
llVegetables  and  the  most  beautiful  Flowers  for  the  Garden 
1  and  Greenhouse.  It  is  full  of  Practical  Hints,  and  will  be 
found  invaluable  to  Gardeners,  Amateurs,  and  Exhibitors. 
Sent  free  on  application. 
BARR  &  SONS 
11,  12,  &  13,  KING  STREET. 
}  COVENT  GARDEN. LONDON 
BEGONIAS !  Awarded  Three  Gold  Medals. 
Our  New  Catalogue  for  1901  ready  now,  free.— JOHN 
PEED  &  SON,  West  Norwood,  S.E. 
GLOXINIAS. — Our  Collection  of  luO  Varieties, 
unsurpassed.  Catalogues  free.— JOHN  PEED  and 
!  I  'SON,  West  Norwood,  S.E. 
[  /"^ALADIUMS. — Our  Catalogue  of  200  Varieties 
■  '  >  mailed  free.  Many  large  Exhibition  Bulbs  for  Sale. 
.Highest  Award  given  to  our  group  at  the  great  show  held 
in  August  last,  New  York,  U.S.  A.— JOHN  PEED  &  SON, 
|  Most  Norwood,  S.E. 
CHOICE 
VEGETABLE  &  FLOWER 
FOR  PRESENT  SOWING, 
BULBS  AND  PLANTS 
FOR  SPRING  PLANTING. 
Collections  of  Vegetable  and  Flower  Seeds, 
Made  up  of  the  most  popular  Varieties,  and  to  suit 
all  requirements,  from  2/-  and  upwards. 
Orders  for  Vegetable  Seeds  of  10/-  and  upwards  sent 
Carriage  Paid. 
j  Orders  for  Flower  Seeds  of  3/-  and  upwards  free  by  post. 
DESCRIPTIVE  CATALOGUE  of  the  above,  with 
Cultural  Directions,  will  be  sent  post  free  on  appli¬ 
cation  to  our  Offices  at  Overveen,  near  HAARLEM, 
HOLLAND,  or  to  our  General  Agents— 
Messrs.  MERTENS  &  CO., 
3,  CROSS  LANE,  LONDON,  E.C. 
[NNES’S  “FERTIL1TAS,”  still  to  the  Fore  ! 
The  celebrated  Vine  and  Plant  Food.  GRAPES 
grown  with  “  FERTILITAS  ”  secured  the  HIGHEST 
AWARD  at  Shrewsbury  this  year.  £14  per  ton,  15/-  per 
cwt.,  car.  paid.  Usual  terms.  Analysis  and  testimonials 
with  all  orders.  From  all  Seedsmen,  or  direct  from— 
WM.  INNES  &  CO.,  City  Road  Mills,  DERBY. 
PURE  WOOD  CHARCOAL,  Specially  Prepared 
for  Horticultural  use.  Extract  from  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture :  “Charcoal  is  invaluable  as  a  manorial  agent ; 
each  little  piece  is  a  pantry  full  of  the  good  things  of  this 
life.  There  is  no  cultivated  plant  which  is  not  benefited  by 
having  Charcoal  applied  to  the  soil  in  which  it  is  rooted.” 
Apply  for  Pamphlet  and  Prices  to  the  Manufacturers — 
HIRST,  BROOKE  &  HIRST,  Ltd.,  Leeds. 
WEST’S  PLANT  GRIP  STAKES.— Everlasting  double-grip 
stakes  for  instantly  staking  all  plants.  Send  postcard  for  Illustrated 
Catalogue. 
WEST’S  PATENT  VAPORISING  FUMIGATOR.— Made  all  of 
metal.  Will  last  a  lifetime  without  wick  or  further  trouble.  Price 
complete,  with  spirits  for  stove,  9d.  post  free,  to  vaporise  up  to  2500  c.f. 
“  WEST'S  EXTRACT  OF  NICOTINE”  is  guaranteed  pure 
Nicotine,  and  three  times  as  good  as  the  best  compound.  It  is  not  a 
compound — ».e.,  not  a  chemical  substitute  for  Nicotine,  but  will  make  a 
compound  equal  to  the  best,  if  desired,  at  ljd.  per  1000  cubic  feet. 
Price  7d.  per  sealed  bottle  of  1000  cubic  feet  post  free  ;  in  quantities  at 
5d.  each,  carriage  paid.  Some  otherj 
WEST’S  patent  GARDEN  SUNDRIES 
(all  delivered  free!  are  Ivorine  and  Metal  Plant  Labels  of  all  kinds, 
from  1/10  gross  ;  Gardener’s  Fountain  Pen,  1/-  ;  Ink  Holding  Pen, 
one  dip  into  ink  lasts  an  hour’s  writing  without  again  dipping,  6d.  dozen  ; 
Waterproof  Ink,  the  only  ink  to  stand  outside  weather,  7d.  bottle  ; 
Prepared  Green  Raffia,  2/-  lb.  ;  Plant  Clips,  1/3  gross  ;  Carnation 
Rings,  1/3  gross  ;  Hyacinth  Supports,  3/-  dozen  ;  Layering  Pegs, 
1/6  per  gross  ;  Metal  Tree  Fasteners,  for  permanently  fastening  wall 
trees,  1/10  gross ;  Wall  Nails,  same  price  as  ordinary  nails  ;  Glazing  Staples,  l/6  gross  ;  Plant  Pots,  also  Pans,  3/- 
cast  any  size  (card,  ford.)  ;  Pot  Suspenders;  Pot  Crocks;  Orchid  Baskets;  Garden  Syringe;  Spray  Diffuser, 
for  spraying  insecticide,  <fcc.,  complete,  2/6;  Powder  Diffuser,  for  diffusing  powder  on  plants,  filled,  l/-;  Flower 
Grip  Holders  of  all  kinds  ;  Greenhouse  Shading,  9d.  tins— if  not  satisfactory  after  trial  money  will  be  returned  ; 
Mushroom  Spawn,  very  prolific,  4/-  per  bushel  ;  Insecticide,  1/3  dozen  boxes;  Mealy  Bug  Destroyer,  7d.  bottles  ; 
Horticultural  Soap,  l£lb  tins,  1/-;  Powder  Weed  Killer,  if  not  the  best  and  cheapest  after  trial  money  will  be 
returned,  1/6  tin,  makes  16  to  50  gallons;  Slug  Killer  Powder,  certain  destruction  to  slugs,  &c. ,  and  a  splendid 
fertiliser,  from  lb.  tins,  9d.  ;  Lawn  Sand,  kills  all  weeds  and  nourishes  the  Grass,  from  lb.  tins,  9d.  ;  Tobacco 
Powder,  extra  fine  ground,  from  9d.  tins  ;  Seed  Germinator,  6d.  boxes,  no  seel  should  be  sown  without  a  dressing  of 
this;  Fertiliser,  perfect  plant  food,  from  lb.  tins,  9d. ;  Manures,  &c. ,  &c.  \’A11  carriage  and  package  free. 
SAMPLES  GRATIS. 
It  will  pay  you  well,  to  save  your  plants  from  dying,  to  send  direct  to  the  only  man  ufacturer  of  ,A11  Garden 
Sundries,  C.  B.  WEST,  ROUNDHAY,  for  full  Illustrated  Catalogue,  with  hiuts  on  horticulture. 
“  Orchid  Culture,”  third  edition,  postage  3d.  Gives  full  particulars  of  the  cultivation  of  Orchids. 
No  1078.— Vol.  XLIL,  Th.iRd  Series, 
THURSDAY,  FEBRUARY  21,  1901. 
Tl\e  Dahlia. 
A  Flower  of  the  Nineteenth  Century. 
)  HE  Dahlia  is  one  of  the  few  flower¬ 
ing  plants  that  has  retained  an 
unbroken  popularity  since  its 
introduction,  or,  to  speak  more 
correctly,  since  its  final  introduc- 
yWY S-*’  tion;  for  neither  the  first  nor  second 
attempts  to  colonise  it  in  English 
7?  gardens  succeeded.  The  year  1789  wit¬ 
nessed  its  first  appearance  in  England, 
when  it  would  seem  to  have  collapsed  under  a 
treatment  suited  only  to  tropical  plants.  Again, 
in  1802,  a  plant  of  D.  coccinea  was  secured  by 
Fraser  of  Chelsea  from  Paris,  which  when  it 
flowered  waB  laid  under  contribution  by  Curtis  for 
the  figure  inserted  in  the  “  Botanical  Magazine.” 
Next  year  Woodford  of  Vauxhall  imported  the 
variety  rosea,  but  this,  as  well  as  Fraser’s  plant, 
died  “  without  issue.” 
Seeds  sent  by  Lady  Holland  from  Madrid  in  1804 
to  her  gardener,  Buonainti,  had  under  his  care  a 
better  success.  They  were  received  on  May  20th, 
and  a  portion  sown  without  delay.  One  plant 
produced  bloom  in  September,  and  this  Andrews 
depicted  in  the  “  Botanicfl  Repository  ”  as  Dahlia 
pinnata.  With  the  exception  of  some  seeds  given 
to  Mr.  Salisbury  the  remainder  were  sown  at 
Holland  House  in  1805,  and  these,  with  the  plants 
raised  the  preceding  year,  went  far  to  show  the 
i  xceeding  variability  of  the  new  plant.  Every 
one  was  diverse  from  the  other,  and  two  partly 
double,  the  first  of  the  race,  were  also  secured. 
Of  this  batch  Sydenham  Edwards  portrayed  two, 
a  purple  and  a  yellow,  which  appeared  the  spring 
succeeding  in  “The  Gardeners’  Dictionary.” 
Salisbury  sowed  his  seeds  also  in  1805,  and  from 
flowers  produced  from  the  resulting  plmts  two 
were  figured  by  Hooker  in  the  “  Paradisis 
Londinensis.” 
Buonainii  was  fortunate  not  only  in  intro¬ 
ducing  the  Dahlia  to  cultivation,  but  he  also 
During  FIFTY-TWO  YEARS  the  “  JOURNAL  OF 
HORTICULTURE"  has  been  written  by  Gardeners  for 
Gardeners,  and  in  its  principles,  its  practice,  and  it  s 
price  it  still  remains  the  same.  One  alteration  is  per  - 
haps,  however,  necessary.  Our  modern  methods  of 
production  have  rendered  the  price  old-fashioned, 
and  hence  in  order  to  meet  the  wishes  of  tie 
present  generation  of  Gardeners  the  “  JOURNAL 
OF  HORTICULTURE ”  will  hereafter  be  sold  for 
TWOPENCE  instead  of  Threepence. 
