In this garden, year by year, dahlias have grown ever since they were first successfully grown in England. In 1789 the dahlia came for the first time from the New World to the Old. It was then sent to Spain, and that same year Lady Bute procured some from Madrid. She was not, however, successful in growing it and it quite died out, until it was reintroduced by Lady Holland in 1804. The plants remained rare in England for some years. It was being grown in France, Germany, and Holland, but little had been done to improve the original plant. When, however, a larger supply was available in England after 1814, the English growers took it up, and produced, before long, the round very double flowers which soon became the rage. In stilted style a writer in 1824 describes the dahlia mania, after giving the history of its introduction. "It was left to English capital and perseverance," he says, "to illuminate the northern part of the globe by the full brilliancy of these floral luminaries." Thus in extravagant language he continues to sing the praises of the dahlia. It is curious that the name is now generally pronounced as if it were "dalea," forgetful of the fact that there is a flower, something like a vetch, called "Dalea" by Linnï¾µus, after Dr. Samuel Dale, who died in 1739, a well-known botanist and friend of Ray. The dahlia was named long after in honour of the Swedish botanist Dahl.
