No species of garden flower has increased its range—or its
size—more obviously than the Zinnia ; but I found, rather to my surprise, that one of the greatest specialists in this flower agreed with me that the rage for size might endanger the flower's particular charms. Its virtue is not size or shape, but colour. The tints, especially in the domain of pink, are indiscoverable elsewhere and are peculiarly soft and pleasing. The African daisy, the Gerbera, especially popular as a table decoration, has shades of red that are quite distinct ; but the colours would be felt to be a little hard if they were not carried by thin and shapely petals. The dahlia suffers even more since its growers are fond of boasting of size, of their approach to a yard in circumference. Happily the popularity of the giants is rivalled by the newer divisions of the family : the " Charm " or miniature paeony dahlias, which are dwarfed, floriferous and long-stemmed (Mrs. J. 11. Becton, for example) and the newer star dahlias, which excel in grace of form. * * * *
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