i^» (MH WADREER -PHILADiLPhlA fA^GARD^H^-filiEHIHOUSe PLAhTS; 



DREER'S SELECT DAHL1A5. 



Another season among the Dahlias shows an increased interest in this most important of all the late summer and fall flowers 

 which the most sanguine Dahlia enthusiast did not dare to dream of even a few years since. 



At our Riverview Farm during the season of 1914 we grew over 50 acres of Dahlias in more than 800 varieties, which included 

 not only large blocks of the best standard varieties of all types, but everything worth while in the newer sorts of both home and 

 foreign introduction. 



All of the Dahlias offered in this catalogue are supplied in strong, dormant field-grown roots, excepting some of the newer 

 kinds, which we can only furnish in plant form and which are noted in the catalogue. These plants are ready to send out between 

 the middle of April and the first of May. As the season advances our supply of roots of some of the older varieties becomes ex- 

 hausted, in which case green growing plants are sent instead. These will give equally as good results as dormant roots, flowering 

 just as freely, and many experienced planters prefer them, and by the time they are cut by frost in the autumn they will have pro. 

 duced strong roots, which can be carried over winter in the usual way. 



Notes on the culture of Dahlias are included in our new book, "Dreer's Hints on the Growing of Bulbs," price 50 cts., or a 

 copy will be sent free to customers who ask for it when ordering. 



Four New Colossal Cactus Dahlias. 



It is gratifying to us to l)e able, after another season's trial, to even more strongly endorse the four varieties listed under this 

 heading than we did last year, and this after one of the most unfavorable growing seasons that we have ever experienced. We 

 are prompted in this not only by our own observations, but also from the many reports we have received from pleased customers. 



ETENDARD DE I. YON. 



Even the person who classes all shades of purple as so-called 

 malignant magentas stops to admire this beautiful carmine-rose 

 giant, which we consider one of the finest varieties for garden 

 decoration. The flowers are of a hybrid-cactus type, distinct 

 in shape from all others; the petals are broad, curled and wavy 

 and form a flower fully 6 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep, 

 a very large flower, yet without any stiffness or formality; its 

 color is a rich carmine-rose, with a brilliant suffusion difficult to 

 describe. 



Its habit of growth is perfect, and for such a large flowering 

 variety it is exceptionally free-flowering. One of our suburban 

 Philadelphia patrons who set out a growing plant al>out June 

 15th reported fourteen open and expanding flowers on his plant 

 on October 15th, with still more buds in sight. Plants ready 

 after April 15th, $1.00 each. 



NIBELUIVGENHORT. 



This is another distinct introduction which has been greatly 

 admired, with flowers from 7 to 8 inches across, composed of 

 rather broad, more or less curled and twisted petals of a beauti- 

 ful shade of old-rose with golden-apricot suffusion. Very free- 

 flowering on long stems; a fine cut flower. Illustrated on plate 

 opposite. Roots, $1.00 each. 



One each of the above Four 



KAEIF. 



A truly majestic flower, nicely shown on the plate opposite, 

 frequently measuring over 9 inches in diameter, of perfect Cac- 

 tus form, in color a pure scarlet. The habit of the plant is all 

 that can be desired, growing, with us, about 4i feet high; the 

 gigantic flowers, which are produced very freely, are held erect 

 on strong, stiff stems, making it a most effective and useful 

 variety for cutting as well as for garden decoration. Kalif is of 

 German origin, and is the first variety that has had the dis- 

 tinction of receiving the National German Dahlia Society's 

 highest award — a silver medal. 



One of our California customers, Mrs. R. L. Hill, of Ventura, 

 writes us under date of October 9th: " I have some 35 varieties 

 of Dahlias which were bought from you, and all are still in 

 bloom and extremely beautiful. I have had Kalif nearly a foot 

 in diameter, and Nibelungenhort eight inches." Last spring 

 we sent out Kalif only in the form of young plants at $2.50 

 each; we have not heard of a single disappointed customer. 

 This season we have succeeded in producing a large stock of 

 roots, sufficient, we believe, to meet all possible demands, at the 

 reduced price of $1.00 each. 



WAEKURE. 



A seedling of Vater Rhein, with the strong, vigorous, free- 

 flowering habit of its parent, flowers frequently measuring 7 

 inches across. These are of sulphur-yellow, deepening to a 

 luminous golden-yellow at the centre, the whole suffused with 

 cinnabar-red. Plants ready after April 15th. $1.00 each. 

 Colossal Dahlias for $3.50- 



Dreer's Giant Cactus Dahlias. 



In looking over the long list of European Dahlias which have been introduced by us, not including the four Colossal Cactus 

 sorts described above, we could not select a similar collection out of the hundreds of varieties which we have grown that we can 

 endorse so highly as these four Giant Cactus, which we first offered in the spring of 1911 and which have been growing more 

 popular each season. They arrest the attention of every visitor to our fields, and are now included in nearly all collections: not 

 only are the flowers of large size and distinct form, but the habit of the plants is vigorous and very free-flowering. 



Nerthus. The centre of the flower is a rich, glowing, bronzy, 

 orange-yellow, passing to a carmine-rose at the tips, the whole 

 suffused with a glowing golden color, which gives it an iri- 

 descence which it is not possible to describe. 



Rheinkonig. Pure snow-white flowers of splendid form, 5 

 inches and over in diameter. These are of great substance, 

 lasting splendidly when cut; they are borne on long, stiff 

 stems held well above the foliage, making it as valuable for 

 garden decoration as for cutting. Illustrated on plate page 131. 



Wodan. Bold, large, but not coarse flower, frequently 7 

 inches in diameter; a graceful arrangement of semi-incurved 

 tuljular petals of a pleasing, delicate salmon-rose color, shad- 

 ing to old-gold in the centre. 



Wolfgang von Goethe. Large, gracefully-arranged, perfect 

 flowers of a rich apricot, with carmine shadings. 35 cts. each; 

 $3.50 per doz. 



Price. Any of the Giant Cactus Dahlias, except where noted, 25 cts. each; $2.50 per doz.; $15.00 per 100. 



One each of the four varieties for $1.00. 



