REPRODUCED FROM A PHOTO OF ONE OF THE BORDERS OF OUR DAHLIAS AT THE ALASKA-YUKON-PACIFIC 
EXPOSITION, SEATTLE, 1909 
THE DAHLIA in its many improved forms are now such an important feature in most 
gardens that we found it necessary to greatly extend our cultures of the same, and 
we now devote over 45 acres at our Riverview Nurseries, a short distance from our main 
Nursery at Riverton, N. J., to their cultivation. This area contained upward of 350,000 
plants, and during their long flowering period, which extended from early in August until 
November 3d, when they were cut by frost, presented what was undoubtedly the greatest 
show of Dahlias ever seen in this country. 
We had under trial in 1912 nearly 700 varieties, of which we had room to offer but 224 
sorts in our Garden Book for 1913, this comparatively short list being the kinds which we 
consider the most desirable for general use. In this special catalogue we offer and de- 
scribe about 500 varieties, which include all the sorts offered in our Garden Book and, in ad- 
dition, such other kinds as have proved to possess the requisite free-flowering and _ other 
qualities which entitle them to a place in a high-grade collection, and which embraces not 
only the cream of the old, well-tried standard sorts of all types, but also the newest intro- 
ductions gathered together from the many specialists in all countries where Diahlias are 
grown, and we believe the enlarged list offered in this catalogue is the most complete and 
up-to-date collection of Dahlias offered this season. 
All of the varieties offered in this catalogue are supplied in strong, dormant field-grown roots, except- 
ing 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 exhausted, 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 produced strong roots, which can be carried over Winter in the usual way. 
A Few Cultural Notes 
One of the most important points in the cultivation of the Dahlia is to select a well-drained position 
where they will receive the full benefit of the sun during the greater part of the day. 
As to soil, they are not at all particular, excepting that in the case of a stiff clay some loose material 
should be added, such as coarse sand, old mortar, or anything which will make the soil loose and friable. 
The soil must be deeply dug and a liberal amount of suitable plant food incorporated. For this nothing 
is more satisfactory than well-decayed stable manure; but where this cannot be conveniently procured, 
pure bone meal, sheep manure or any chemical fertilizer rich in ammonia and phosphoric acid will answer. 
The planting of dormant roots in the latitude of Philadelphia may be done at any time between 
April 25th and June 15th. Green or growing plants must not be set out until all danger of frost is 
over, say May 10th or 15th. Do not crowd your plants, but plant at a distance of not less than 2% or 3 
feet, and as soon as the shoots appear, remove all but two or three of the strongest, and these, when 
about a foot high, should be secured to stout stakes. 
To produce flowers freely, the plants must never be allowed to become checked or stunted in growth; 
such conditions frequently occur during excessive hot and dry weather. During such periods the 
plants should be thoroughly watered and the roots protected from the heat by mulching the ground with 
long strawy manure or any loose material which will keep the soil cool. 
