A Gardener's Notebook

Archive.org has a host of old gardening books (from mid-19th to mid-20th Century) available in many formats and on a host of topics. I happened across a few in my Pinterest feed and gone completely down the rabbit hole in this treasure trove of information. Sure some ideas might be out of date, but you never know what you might find when you explore these catalogs. I’ll be sharing more catalogs as I find them in the coming weeks. –Douglas

Historical Garden Books: Treatise culture of the dahlia and cactus by E. Sayers (1839) – 44 in a series

People have been writing about Dahlias for a long, long time! — Douglas

PREFACE.

The general desire manifested by the lovers of choice flowers to improve the beautiful tribes of the Dahlia and Cactus, has induced the writer to compile this little treatise. He does not pretend that the following pages are entirely original; he acknowledges his obligations to the late works of Paxton and M’Intosh, two of the most eminent floriculturists in Great Britain. So far, however, as these pages have any claim to originality, the compiler has drawn from an experience of no recent date in the general culture of flowers, during which he has paid particular attention to the Dahlia and Cactus. The favorable reception which, in the present enlightened state of horticulture, is extended to every consistent effort for the improvement of any of its departments, encourages him to send his little treatise to the press ; and that it may have a tendency to strengthen the impulse already prevalent in the culture of choice flowers is his earnest wish. May, 1839.

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