The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-05
THE DAHLIA'S NEW BEAUTY.
REM<RElBLE BLOCKS PRODUCED nj
RECENT CULTURE,

Every Tone of Color Save Perhaps Blue
now Represented in q Wide Variety of
Porms-Festurea of the New Dshlias -
Renewsd Intersst in Their Cuituro-
PHILADELPHIA, Oct % The memoirs Of
the dahlia this year will be recorded in illuminate
letters There has been the annual show Of SUI
perb blossoms at tho Export Exposition, there
have been the meetings. Of tho American Dahlia
society, aud at present there Is a remarkabe OPEN
air show Of the growing plants about whose many
,olorcd mowers butterflies hover in the sunny
time, deceived by the golden haze VI autumn into
= belief that summer is still here To those who
10 asked upon the dahlia a. an accommodate
ing but rather highly coored feature Of rural
gardens. these exhibitions came a. a revelation.
Dahlis shows, in this country at least unusual.
The plants have been exhibited heretofore a. lit
uo side Affairs to chrysanthemum shows OF tho
inclusive Horticultural shows, and that they
should have an exhibition of their own. supple
menied by q congress Of growers. opened the
eyes If the general public to the fact that thcro
Is dahba revival In progress
AOoui thirty years ago after long period
at favor. II thought that the limit Of dahlia
cultivation had been reached Since that timo
many nisapprehensions in regard to tho flower
have grown up There IL a general Impression
even now that the plant and its blossoms are stiff
and 81 no great value in decorative way. Tho
color range, VI has bccn thought, was restricted
rnd crude and the season short The game
really didn't seem to h. worth the candle All
that has hen changed. however. The dahlia of To-
day has forms AMI c0lors as varied a. the capr ces
ii coluc,te. Growing in pots II has been widely
used this summer and autumn for house dccora-
Won. and the cut flowers clusters Of mnuve. white.
rosy OF pale yellow dnhlins Smothcrcd in feathery
A A..
Il green wckcrwnrk. have been used To carry
messages VI conl;ra,ulainn or sympathy.
I ndcr the modern system Of cultivation, known
80 the single stem branching sys n. the extraor-
Ninarily long stems that nrc required now for all
ut flowers have been achieved. The former in.
adequate daha stem Is iaIgh hit to add many cubits
- its stature. and tho plants in full bloom show
The flowers held bravCly upright and clearing the
I,liaEe bv SEVERAL inches The dahlia season be-
suns in June and lasts until frost. The open. air
show now blooming so gayly at the Exposition
grounds is projected by on ingenious system Of
shelter tents which arc a., Up as soon 90 nigh,
hceins TO fail They made Of loosely woven
burap which. it is estimated. mitigate the frosts
TO the extent Of Ave degrees Of temperature and
the cold 10 the extent VI ten degrees
IA few persons know the dAhlja WAS ma rnrl from
that Prof Dahl who was closely aSsoCiatc, with
LinnHus In botanical studies Humboldt hrst came
upon IL growing VIII On the platsAlls OF Mexico
and sent spe linens ~ q friend who was in charge
IL the Botanlca; Gnrdcns at Madrid Slips we-c
lent 10 Encland IN The. same year 1850 and
i"w months later 20 France II is sometimes
stated that the dNhlIa was not inIrod uccd into
England until lSOi hut thus contradiction oi
dates due ~ the fac, tina, the first little colony
of plants sent over lid not for some rcn son take
kindly 10 the British climate AMI dis1ppeN-ed
r ,'1n he ioCi spsJ'ies ~ss tetnttodgc;
time In order 10 reach the Uaited Stats Tor IL
oame hero by way ot England lis culture Was
bntisn Isles with enthusiasm. The FIRST cNpa.
mated plants were Of the single varieties only,
but Gradually the ennpGrrL Gguhie h1il shaped
ra'iy nineteenth century and indeed. until 40 late
as lstO approached as ncary a. poeSs,hlc the ab-
Soutc unbroken roundncsI- ~ a globe The Colofs
then were magnihcrntly rich. brilliant and
varied When the sphere Of lightly packed quilted
:e'=-= - .::@;ro -, ;hs iahn iancie-s earned
fheir pursuit o! the unattainable - other fields
and tho flower Was left 10 languish in forgotten
oorners l, VAS the appearance. few yeats ago.
81 new varieties that began Ihe renaissance OF
Since then every az, Of the florist professional
and amateur. has been exercised in the production
81 new forms and more va-icl colo ing They
have succeeded past all expectation. The new
varieties. the decorative aud the cactus dahliaS,
are picturesque and graceful IN degree There
Is no lone Of colo impossible to them except per,
haps blue But what Of hat There are no blue
ns5 lew e,,hst and after all blue is ap. N fado
seal climate Besides all the dnhlia er,husiaS,s
thlnk down In the re'e-srs ~ their heart, Thai
somo day they will rcaly set about achieving
The missing color in earnest Many ~ tho purpIc
flowers SHADE oil into an imitation u blue a. any
Already shows an ult-amarirr edge IN its orange
crimson petals. AE for varir'v Ot form the modern
dahlia has managed n ILLUSTRATE the r,euch prv.
efb, winch state: that nothing IL impossible
ioA brnye heart, with conspicuous success Nniong
Tho double varieties are the cactus decorative
SHOW fancy, pomp"n dwaf and Tom Thumb.
while IN the single G-c'ics there are the Standard
single, single SHOW. single fancy. single cactus,
single ds.t and singlr Tom Thumb Not con.
Lrr har
prtlcod grcen dahlia Of tho dwarf show variety
tHled vi1fihara which has compact beautifully
hen there II porfumci dahlia Of the single tive
Nh.ch is promise Of what is Ia he done in Inc
.rmbes a chrySsnthemum 70 closelv that IL is
almost impossible for me'e outsider tn dising,iisb
bclseen them, and nymphTa, Which vas
Tor be nresent furore ove- dahas h.s H., G,Ii.
cate glow and form Of a r,.sy water lily
m.nS s1 ~, AFR g. IN full bloom is sigh 70
rs probably done more for the dshlia u an any
",hsi one man in this country, has made hiy'ynl-
Is- me rose: llo-sum like the ros. however
"a phrnSe that expresses but a smeil pen 81
~, = w. ven acre dahlln field las thousand hurs
WAY We rose never dreamed 81 In lis moments
Ill Hign"'t aspirhtiOn& on n clear autumn morn.
hs when the dew Is still flashing hack nivrisds
o. uny suns such huge garden IL indrscrirahly
eeu'!lul IL Is as II a noble Persian Garnet had
lsen thtown down before YOU. Rows up0n rows
:. s,g r,,n'cn blooms nniirg 10 fame color and
~ We slbur Oh anges Of pearl, cream and oprL
mere Is me sp,entor Of orange and royal p,Irplr
~ swimmer Of silv"ry mauvcs and pinIs the
HahM scarlet and the flash II yellow all snftrnad
mn hrhdrd by the intersra rsed masses Of ysric.
gaNrl blossoms which in the distance become
shah' 81 vapOruus tones
Ahong n" new dnhlias there is Of course,
IN ADMIRAL Dewey, decorative dahlis Of a deep
nuI GLOWING crimson, with such n vclvrty sur
,an uNFt you run = curious finger across IL 10
,rei we pile There was an Ag,iinaldo too bu,
we AGlnsonites will be panied 10 learn tiiat il
Ia been suppressed: Apropos Of names tho
ft.nKiiSil, who are interchangeable dahlia growers
utae named their two new decorative " pes of
H's year respectively Capt Drryfus and Renli
~ honor oi the Prince Of cricket fame
II pne o. the imperative duties Of the American
t,ainnh society was TO decide. at it's meetings
uis year, upon the matter Of tho decorative and
rpac,ns vareurs II Is fraught with perplryitios
sonle VINO are ready 10 talk a. you sicnlly
Tpln me divers aspects Of the dahia will evnde
,n'S point II ihcv can. When you put the question
W Lnc specialist, he becomes deeply Interested
sc we .s aImHIlhg diameter which Storm King has
"aM.rved MS year and Nays hurriedly:
a. IN" Hllei"ncc between tho cactus and the
nrc"iau'r dHhli1s? Well, the cactus. you know.
uAS M. petals curved back toward a Doint at the
a. a. ' ne the 'roratve dahli,s have tla free
upaunS effect u the ChrysAnthcmum The grada-
wnlS hriW""n the two are very fine. In some