NEW RACE OF DWARF DAHLIAS.
The dahlia has held a prominent place among garden flowers for many years, and it has received new life in the acquisition of a section little expected by cultivators, but peculiarly welcome. This class is the outcome of much patient work on the part of Mr. T.W. Girdlestone, the well known secretary of the National Dahlia Society, who has for some time past devoted much time to the improvement of the single varieties. We had the pleasure a short time since of receiving a photograph of this dwarf section of dahlias from Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons, of Crawley, who have purchased the stock, and this we have had engraved, as it conveys an excellent idea of the height of the plant and the profusion with which the flowers are produced. The photograph was also of interest as containing a portrait of Mr. Girdlestone, which we are sure will be welcome to many of our readers. The plants of this race are very dwarf, not exceeding twelve inches in height, bushy, spreading and exceedingly free in flowering, the range of varieties being at present limited to twelve. The blooms are of medium size, and the colors are distinct and rich, more particularly the scarlet and crimson shades, which can be employed to immense advantage in the flower garden. The heavy formal show varieties are of little value for planting in trim beds and borders. Many of the decorative or cactus varieties are too coarse in growth to be of much value in the flower garden. Therefore, this Liliputian race should find favor with those who wish for showy and novel effects in the garden during the summer months.
There are no peculiarities of culture to contend with, and the unusually dwarf habit of the plants specially fits them for comparative small beds and borders. One good way would be to fill a single bed with one or more decided colors, as is now done with the tuberous begonia, for the reason that these dahlias have flowers similar in size to those of the tall-growing single varieties, and bear them on stiff stalks well above the stems. A mass of the crimson variety would produce a rich glow of color infinitely finer than a mixture of undecided hues. We anticipate a high degree of popularity for these dwarf single or Tom Thumb dahlias, and there is a possibility of double varieties equally dwarf which would be also welcome. The great fault of the majority of dahlias already in cultivation is the tall habit of the plants, but here we have dwarfness, a profusion of finely formed flowers, and varied and attractive colors.—The Gardeners' Magazine.
SOME WINNEBAGO ARTS.
In the Proceedings of the New York Academy of Sciences an abstract is given of a paper on the above, read by Dr. Frederick Starr: