DREER'S SPECIAL DAHLIA CATALOGUE 



DREER'S SELECT DAHLIAS 



One of Our Leading Specialties 



All of the varieties offered in this catalogue are supplied in strong, dormant 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 become 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 to dormant roots 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 

 ^ hich will make the soil loose and friable. The 

 soil must be deeply dug, if possible to a depth 

 of two spades, and a liberal amount of suitable 

 plant food incorporated. For this nothing is 

 more satisfactory than well-decayed stable ma- 

 nure; but where this cannot be conveniently 

 procured pure bone meal, sheep manure, or any 

 chemical fertilizer rich in ammonia and phos- 

 phoric acid will answer as a substitute. 



The planting of dormant roots in the latitude 

 of Philadelphia may be done at any time be- 

 tween April 25th and June iSth, the earlier 

 planting being preferable. Green or growing 

 plants must not be set out until all danger of 

 frost is over, say May loth or 15th. Do not 

 crowd your plants, but plant at a distance of 

 not less than 2j^ or 3 feet, and, as soon as the 

 shoots appear,tremove all but two or three of the strong- 

 est, and these, when about a foot high, should be secured 

 to stout stakes. 



NEW GERMAN CACTUS DAHLIA, WODAN 



NEW GERMAN GIANT CACTUS DAHLIAS 



In our fields during the past summer these varieties attracted great attention. Not only are the flowers of very large size, 

 most of them distinct and unique in form, but the habit of the plants is also very vigorous, growing with us about 5 feet high and 

 free-flowering. All will be found desirable additions to any collection. 



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. 



Vater Rhein. Flowers frequently 7 inches in diameter, raised 

 well above the foliage on stout stems; the petals are broad, 

 curled and twisted, forming an ideal flower, the color of which 

 is yellow, suffused with salmon-rose; a beautiful, attractive 

 and imposing flower. 



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

 in diameter; a graceful arrangement of semi-incurved tubular- 

 petals of a pleasing, delicate salmon rose color, shading to old 

 gold in the centre. 



Wolfgang von Qoethe. Lage, gracefully-arranged, perl'ect 

 flowers of a ricli apricot, with carmine shadings. 



30 cts. each; $3 oopsrdoz. ; $20.00 per 100. The set of 5 varieties for I1.25. 



