Comments by the Leading Philadelphia Newspapers on the Dreer Flower Show 
From The North American, Oct. 5, 1913 
50 ACRES OF DAHLIAS 
PART OF FLOWER SHOW 
Outdoor Exhibition Held by the 
Henry A. Dreer Company at 
Riverton 
600,000 Phiox Plants 
Seven hundred varieties of roses, 800 
varieties of dahlias and 600,000 plants of 
different varieties of phlox were some of 
the attractions offered visitors yesterday 
to the nurseries of the Henry A. Dreer 
Company, at Riverton, N. J. 
Flower lovers critically examined and 
compared the latest novelties in dahlias, 
eannas, phlox and other fall-blossoming 
flowers, with the sorts that have been 
popular for years, presenting an oppor- 
tunity to inspect the flowers growing out 
of doors, under conditions which exist in 
their own gardens. 
Fifty 
alone, including decorative, single, dou- 
arces were devoted to dahlias 
ble, cactus and pompon varieties of the 
newest American and European creations 
in every type. “Kalif,’ a novelty which 
is just being introduced by the Dreer 
Company in this counttry, is a peculiar 
brick red in color, the flower measuring 
when in full 
eleven inches in diameter 
bloom. 
From Germany comes a decided coral 
dahlia known as ‘“‘Wolfgang von Goethe.” 
“Geisha,” as its name implies, is a com- 
bination of oriental coloring of red and 
yellow, having a curly petal which meas- 
ures fully six inches in length. 
Among the perennials the different va- 
rieties of delphinium were by far the 
most wonderful. 
A most unusual plant, and one which 
might be known as a blue scarlet sage, or 
“Salvia Pitcheri,”’ to it the 
name, attracted a good deal of comment. 
give real 
This is the first time in the history of 
floriculture in this country that an 
outdoor show of fall blooming flowers 
has ever been held, and so successful was 
the unique experiment that the Henry A. 
Dreer Company intends to continue it 
from year to year. The present show 
will continue throughout the week, until 
next Saturday. Guides will welcome the 
visitors and give any information desired. 
From Zhe Evening Telegraph, Oct. 6, 1913 
THOUSANDS FLOCK TO 
DREER FLOWER SHOW 
Nurseries at Riverton, Riverview and 
Locust Farm an Endless 
Panorama of Color 
J., today car- 
for 
Trains for Riverton, N. 
ried many flower lovers en route 
the annual outdoor fall flower show at 
the three nurseries of the Henry A. 
Dreer Company, at Riverton, Riverview 
and Locust Farm. 
The show, which began last Saturday 
and will conclude next Saturday, is for 
the purpose of affording an opportunity 
to view the latest novelties in dahlias, 
cannas, phlox and other fall blossom- 
ing flowers growing out of doors, un- 
der the same conditions as apply to in- 
dividual gardens. There were also hun- 
dreds of the well-established and_ al- 
ready popular varieties as well, giving 
ample chance for study and comparison. 
Coaches were waiting at Riverton sta- 
tion to take the visitors around the 
several nurseries, which are about a mile 
apart. 
As the train approached Riverton the 
passengers crowded to one side to 
catch the first glimpse of the acre upon 
acre of loveliness. All of the late flow- 
ering sorts of hardy perennials are in 
full bloom, the beds, arranged color by 
color, forming a beautiful ensemble. 
Here also are the Rock Gardens, 
dainty bits of horticultural art. Another 
much admired feature of the Riverton 
display was the magnificent collection 
of water lilies and aquatics, as a matter 
of fact the only real pond of tropical 
aquatics in the country. 
Again, as the procession of coaches 
approached Riverview, the scene was 
one of surpassing beauty. Fifty acres of 
dahlias in full bloom, comprising more 
than S00 varieties, spread out before 
the eyes of the visitors, and fifteen acres 
of cannas, the largest display of these 
flowers in the world, caused a burst of 
enthusiastic admiration at the gorgeous 
mingling of gold and scarlet and pink 
and bronze in massive stripes of color, 
as though the brush of a mighty artist 
had swept across the landscape. 
At Locust Farm are the phloxes— 
more than half a million of them. In 
fact, so many new and beautiful varie- 
ties of all the flowers are nodding to the 
sun at the three nurseries that to men- 
tion any of them seems like an injustice 
to the many which would have to re- 
main unmentioned for pure lack of 
space, 
Any one of the new varieties of dah- 
lias, cannas or phlox is well worth a 
visit, and a visit at this particular time 
is really part of a floral education. 
From Phila. Record, Oct. 5, 1913 
RARE SHOW OF FALL BLOOMS 
Outdoor Display at Dreer Nurseries 
a Riot of Rich Colors 
The first outdoor show of fall bloom- 
ing flowers ever held in this country is 
in progress at the Henry A. Dreer Com- 
pany’s nurseries in Riverton, Riverview 
and Locust Farms, N. J., where there 
is a most remarkable display, covering 
more than 60 acres of brilliant colors 
and beautiful designs. Thousands of 
dahlias, cannas, phlox, scarlet sage, 
asters and other hardy perennials are 
now in full bloom, and the result is a 
riot of color that charm all fortunate 
get 
enough to within sight of this 
The 
last Saturday and will continue all this 
unique panorama. show opened 
week, 
The dahlia is now universally recog- 
nized as the queen of early October 
In the the 
dahlia’s popularity has grown so rapidly 
flowers. last few years 
that gardeners have almost doubled their 
acreage and have introduced many new 
and fantastic varieties. 
One of the most notable of these de- 
One of 
the most gorgeous of these is the Geisha, 
velopments is the peony dahlia. 
with its scarlet and gold petals measur- 
The 
Cleopatra, smaller and not so fantastic 
ing from six to eight inches across. 
in shape and petal arrangement, is equal- 
ly gorgeous in coloring. 
The Twentieth Century dahlia is an- 
other outgrowth of these experiments. 
It is strictly an American production. 
Its petals are unique in that they num- 
ber from 10 to 12 and are broad and 
open, making them unsurpassed for dec- 
orative purposes. 
Two fantastie varieties are the Cactus 
The 
finement among dahlias, as suggested by 
and the Collerette. Cactus is re- 
its narrow, delicately-formed petals. It 
originated from the Mexican variety, 
Juarez, introduced about 35 years ago. 
The Collerette is a more recent introdue- 
Its 
row or 
tion from France. name is derived 
from an inside collar of small 
petals that form a separate and distinct 
color setting of their own. 
