268 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  31, 190-1 . 
state  that  during  the  twenty-six  da3’s  it  lasted  less  than  a 
quarter  of  a  gallon  of  rain  fell  on  each  square  .yard  of  surface  in 
iny  garden.  No  sooner  had  this,  the  only  dry  and  genial  period 
of  the  growing  .season,  come  to  an  end,  which  it  did  about  the 
middle  of  Jul.y,  than  a  return  to  the  persistentl.y  cold,  wet,  and 
sunless  weather  which  had  preceded  it  took  place,  and  lasted 
until  the  end  of  August.  Then,  as  if  to  complete  the  tale  of 
disa.sters,  came  in  that  month  a  series  of  violent  gales,  which  in 
exposed  gardens  did  considerable  damage  to  the  plants  then 
coming  into  flower.  Can  it  therefoi’e  be  a  matter  for  surprise 
that  at  the  National  Dahlia  Show,  which  was  held  on  the  1st 
and  2nd  of  September,  the  numher  of  exhibits  should  have  been 
fewer  than  usual  P  The  displa.v  was  not,  however,  quite  as 
limited  as  in  1902,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  short  statement 
which  follows.  In  this  is  given  the  total  number  of  blooms  or 
bunches,  as  the  case  ma.y  be,  set  up  in  competition  at  the  last 
five  exhil)itions  of  the  National  Dahlia  Society'  in  each  of  the 
five  pi’incipal  sections  into 
Ai  hich  Dahlias  are 
noAV 
divided. 
1899 
19C0 
1901 
1902 
1903 
ShoAvg-,  No.  of  blooms  ... 
702 
682 
832 
461 
527 
Fancies  „  .... 
336 
314 
272 
180 
181 
Pompons,  No.  of  bundles 
180 
222 
228 
168 
192 
Cactus,  „  „ 
297 
354 
357 
285 
344 
Cactus,  shoAvn  singly 
216 
798 
672 
522 
660 
Singles,  No.  of  bunches... 
117 
126 
153 
120 
156 
Although  far  beloAv  in 
extent 
AA’hat  an 
exhibition  of 
the 
Society-  may  be  expected  to  be  in  anjAhing  like  an  ordinar.v 
.season,  the  different  sections  were  better  represented  than  at 
the  previous  exhibition,  but  only  in  one  section,  that  of  the 
.single-flowered  varieties,  was  there  any  marked  advance  on  pre¬ 
vious  shows.  In  that  section  the  blooms  were,  I  am  pleased 
to  say,  more  numerousl.y  .staged  than  in  an.y  other  j^ear  during 
the  pei'iod  over  which  my  records  for  the  singles  extend,  viz., 
since  1889,  or  for  fifteen  j'ears. 
Before  proceeding  to  deal  with  the  different  sections 
separatel.v,  I  should  like  to  direct  the  attention  of  3’our  readers 
to  a  new  publication  recently  issued  by  the  National  Dahlia 
Societ.y,  entitled  “  The  Official  Catalogue  and  Culture  Guide,” 
to  which  I  am  in  a  great  measure  indebted  for  the  selections 
of  varieties  for  general  cultivation  given  in  this  analysis.  It 
is  certainh"  the  be.st  and  most  reliable  catalogue  of  Dahlias  now 
in  cultivation  that  has  jnt  appeared,  while  the  directions  on 
culture  are  equally  complete  and  trustworthy.  I  would  strongly 
recommend  all  intere,sted  in  the  cultivation  of  Dahlias  to  secure 
a  copv  of  this  little  work.  Avhich  can  be  obtained  of  the  ener¬ 
getic  secretary  of  the  Society,  Mr.  P.  AY.  Tulloch,  Forest  Cot, 
Balcombe,  Sus.sex.  Alembei's  on  joining  the  Society'  receive  a 
copv  free  of  charge,  and  to  non-members  the  price  is  two 
shillings,  post  free. 
Show  and  Fancy  Dahlias. 
The  more  modern  and  more  generali.v  popular  Cactus  Dahlias 
have  to  a  gi-eat  extent  put  the  Shows  and  Fancies  into  the 
■shade.  They  are,  however,  .still  largely  grown  and  exhibited, 
and  if  anv  amateur  who  has  not-  done  so  wishes  to  tr.y  his  hand 
FANCY 
as  a  cultivator  and  exhibitor  of  Dahlias,  he  cannot  do  bette'* 
than  turn  his  attention  to  growing  these  perfectly  formed 
flowers  for  exhibition  purposes,  for  there  is  no  other  section 
which  will  put  his  skill  and  judgment  so  completely  to  the  test. 
It  .should  be  explained  that  in  the  accompan.ying  tables  the 
positions  of  the  Shows  and  Fancies  are  dependent  upon  the 
average  number  of  times  each  variety  was  .staged  at  the  last 
eight  exhibitions  of  the  National  Dahlia  Society  in  all  instances 
where  their  records  Avill  allow  of  this  being  done.  In  the  case 
of  the  newer  soi’ts,  which  are  few  in  number,  the  average  records 
for  a  necessaril.y  shorter  series  of  j’ears  have  been  utilised. 
Airs.  Gladstone,  although  sent  out  twenty  jmars  ago,  and 
therefore,  with  the  exception  of  AA'illiam  Eawlings  and  James 
Cocker,  the  oldest  variety  among  the  first  twelve  Show  Dahlias 
on  the  list,  .still  maintains  the  po.sition  it  has  now  held  for 
eighteen  years  as  the  premier  flower  in  the  section.  The 
struggle  foi-  first  place  has,  however,  in  recent  ^mars  been  closely 
contested  between  AIi’s.  Gladstone  and  II.  T.  Rawlings,  the 
champion  yellow  variety.  Indeed,  taking  the  last  fonr  exhibi¬ 
tions  alone,  the  records  of  the  latter  come  out  slightly  in  advance 
of  those  of  Airs.  Gladstone.  It  has  now  become  a  neck  and  neck 
race,  in  which  the  variety  having  the  greatest  staying  power  is 
certain  ultimately  to  win.  Both  rivals  were  last  jmar  unusually 
well  represented,'  and  more  particularly  K.  T.  Rawlings,  which 
was  not  only  more  numerously  shown  than  in  any  previous  year, 
:  but  also  mo're  frequently  .staged  than  any  other  Show  or  Fancy 
Dahlia  in  the  exhibition.  Other  varieties  which  were  la.st  year 
to  be  met  with  in  more  stands  than  usual  Avere  Duchess  of 
York,  Artlnir  RaAvlings,  AIi's.  Langtry,  Shotesham  Hero,  T.  J. 
Saltmansh,  and  Ethel  Britton.  On  the  other  hand,  J.  T.  AA^est, 
Duke  of  Fife,  Alaud  Fellowes,  and  Auctor  Avere  but  poorly 
represented . 
In  the  table  aaIII  be  found  fonr  varieties  Avhich  may  be 
regarded  as  neAv  sorts — those  AA’hich  at  the  time  of  the  la.st 
exhibition  AA’ere  five  or  feAA'er  years  old.  Of  these  Aluriel  Hobbs 
(No.  43),  Avhich  Avas  .sent  out  in  1898,  still  occupies  about  the  same 
position  as  in  the  last  analysis.  David  Johnson,  di.stributed  in 
the  folloAving  year,  has  fallen  seven  places.  Gracchus,  a  1901 
variet.v,  on  its  first  appearance  takes  up  a  place  at  No.  45, 
while  'Merlin,  Avhich  Avas  only  introduced  in  1902,  AA'ill  be  found 
at  No.  38. 
Rev.  J.  B.  AI.  Camm  still  holds  the  premier  position  in  the 
table  of  Fancies  AA’ithout  any  semblance  of  a  ri\'al,  and  at  the 
last  exhibition  Aias,  taking  into  consideration  the  extent  of  the 
‘  different  shoAvs,  staged  oftener  than  in  aiiy  previous  year, 
that  is  to  sa.A',  since  these  records  Avere  first  instituted  twenty- 
one  3’ears  ago.  The  record  of  Airs.  Saunders  is  almost  equally 
marvellous,  as  Ave  have  to  go  back  to  1889  to  find  this  variety 
as  frequentlj-  shoAvn.  Considering  these  are  the  oldest  varieties 
on  the  list,  one  being  thirty  and  the  other  thirty-one  years 
old,  their  performances  must  be  regarded  as  altogether  excep¬ 
tional  in  the  annals  of  the  Dahlia.  AlattheAv  Campbell,  S. 
Alortimer,  T.  AA\  Girdlestone,  -Dandy,  and  Rebecca  Avere  all 
unusuallv  AA’ell  shoAAii.  On  the  other  hand,  Airs.  John  Downio 
and  Buffalo  Bill  Avere  both  scantily  represented. 
The  onl^’  Fancy  Dahlia  in  the  table  AA'hich  is  five  or  fewer 
years  old,  and  has  therefore  any  claim  to  he  called  a  neAV 
DAHLIAS. 
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1 
23-5 
31 
Rev.  J.  B.  AI.  Camm . 
1873 
Keynes  . 
YelloAv  and  red 
2 
17-6 
26 
Airs.  Saunders  . 
1872 
Turner  . 
Y'elloAv  and  AA^hite 
3 
161 
14 
Duchess  of  Albany  . 
1884 
Turner  . 
Orange  and  crimson 
4 
130 
21 
Alatthew  Campbell  . 
1889 
Keynes  . 
Buff  and  crimson 
5 
12-9 
5 
Airs.  John  DoAvnie  . 
1889 
Turner  . 
Orange  and  scarlet 
6 
11-8 
9 
Emin  Pasha  . 
1894 
Keynes  . 
Yellow,  striped  crimson 
7 
10-8 
7 
Goldsmith  . 
1895 
Keynes  . 
YelloAv,  striped  crimson 
8 
101 
7 
Dorothy  . 
1888 
Keynes  . 
FaAvn  and  maroon 
8 
10-1 
17 
S.  Alortimer  . 
1894 
Alortimer . 
Rose,  striped  crimson 
10 
99 
10 
Frank  PearcB  . 
1886 
Rawlings . 
Rose,  striped  crimson 
11 
95 
3 
Buffalo  Bill . 
1890 
Keynes  . 
BiAft’,  striped  vermilion 
11 
9-5 
14 
T.  AA^.  Girdlestone  . 
1890 
Keynes  . 
Lilac  and  maroon 
11 
9-5 
7 
AA^atchman . 
1899 
Keynes  . 
Golden  yellow,  striped  crimson 
14 
9-4 
9 
Peacock  . 
1877 
Turner  . 
Alaroon  and  white 
15 
8-6 
14 
Dandy  . 
1891 
Keynes  . 
Orange,  striped  crimson 
15 
65 
12 
Rebecca  . 
1883  , 
Keynes  . 
Lilac  and  crimson 
17 
6-4 
7 
Prince  Henrv  . 
1887  i 
FelloAA'es . 
Lilac,  striped  piirple 
18  : 
5-4  ' 
7 
Hercules  . 
1877  1 
Keynes  . 
Yellow  and  crimson 
19 
50 
2 
Comte  de  la  Saux  . 
1890 
Keynes  . 
Lilac,  striped  crimsbn 
