The Florida agriculturist., 1906-03-28


of the plant there were flowers con-
tinually from July until a November
frost laid them low. Grand as was
this plant, with its prOfusiOn of
superbly beautiful flowers, there were
other Dahlias in the splendor of whose
rich, dark beauty my soul delighted.
Among them is Mrs. Tracy, sent to me
from California, in the long ago. The
style of growth of this plant is similar
to the preceding, the flowers are
large, very full, with crowded petals;
some of the petals are pointed, some
rounding and others nOtched, all are
broad The color is rich, glorious,
crimson, flushed purple, with center
of flower almost black. A superb
flower Sidney HOllins comes next, on
my list, in this array of beauty, a
double quilted flower, with buds dark
as night, opening to a deep, dark
crimson. An exceedingly fine flower;
too weIl-knOwn to need description. |
persume, that in some of the catalogues
it is listed as Il Cactus Dahlia, and
that reminds me that Cactus Dahlias
are Oh the high road to favor, and no
wonder, for they are marvelS of beau
ty. | rejoice in the possession of three
which in beauty of form and color,
can scarcely be eXcelled. These are
Kenneth" a pure vermillion. Mrs.
Peart, snowy white, and one a deli
cate, light yellow, of which | do not
know the name. | am charmed with
them all.
\ few years since, it was almost,
if not quite. impossible to get a perfect
white Dahlia. Almost invariably the
center would be hard, greenish core,
or the flower would not he fully de
velOped. | gave up trying to get one
that would prove satisfactory, and dis
carded them all with the exception of
the POmpOn Dahlia, Guiding Star"
which WAS perfect and a most prOfuSe
biOomer.
Now, | can count seven or more
white Dahlias in my collection. shat
are absolutely perfect, though each
differs from the others in many re-
spects. To say that | was in an ec-
stacy of delight over them is drawing
it mild indeed.
\ DahIia sent me as pure white,
WAS labeled the Grand Duke Alexis"
and was. think, misnamed. l looked
over several of the leading floral cata-
lOgues for the Grand Duke Alexis. In
one it was described as pure, soft
white. the tips of the petals edged and
suffused with delicate pink.
Another catalogue described it simp-
ly as white shaded soft lavender. An
other, as Ivory-white with a faint tinge
of rose at the extremity of the petals.
And in still another, it was ivory
white. petals tubular, sufficiently open
to show a faint tinge of bluSh-pink,
and so on, and very good. So | came
to the conclusion that the Dahlia sent
me as the Grand Duke Alexis, was not
the Grand Duke Alexis, but Dablia
infinitely superior, in many ways, and
one with which | am charmed beyond
measure This Dahlia grew tall and
straight, and symmetrical, seven feet
tall, with beautiful branches and
foliage. The flowers eXcelling, by far,
the others, in elegance and grace; were
large, and double to the center, and
white as the mountain snow; super
latively white without the first faint
tint of color The incurved petals are
thin in texture with crimpy appear
ance like those of the Crepe Myrtle.
The flowers grew on long, erect stems,
often there were two or three flowers
and buds on the same stem. | have
given this incOmparably beautiful
Dahlia a more appropriate name, and
we now know it as the Frost King
Wara I tn aypatiato on thp maritc