BESSIE BOSTON DAHLIA FARM, SAN MATEO, CAL. 
Si:\\ l)3':CX)KA'!'l\-l.: dahlias — iUvs Owu (^vejition (Coiil iiiued ) 
i.r,1i l-ACIIMA.\ (iloK.-sie UosiioiO— A soft biendins- of cream, t;,n and vellow 
A very lai-gf bloo.ii v/liich will occasionall.v be too lieavj I'or the .stem 
which has a .slight curve, but on the whole is a lovely cvit llower When 
late 111 the .season the center opens, this will be a mo.st attractive peony 
A popular blossom, named for a prominent and popular San Francisco 
liierchant. .1^1;. 5v,'. 
Ti.-MAB1EI. B. TAt<V (Vtvssii- i£...s(«.i!) — "C'rea ted a furore at the San Francisco 
show,' to quote the Ame.ricfLn l<lorist. It not only made the hit of the oc- 
casion but was the only dahlia exhibited bv itself which won a gold 
medal. 'this award wa.s given for the best fifty blooms in the fiercest 
competition in the show. ■) he best Californians were entered in this con- 
test, .some new and some old, and Mabel U. Taft won easily In l')'l8 the 
dahlia was entered to win Mrs. Samuel H. Taft's prize for the best three 
year old, on condition that the winner was to be named after the donor 
Our stock then was limited, so we did not offer it for sale but we sent 
It to Mrs. Taft at Cincinnati and it won a blue ribbon in the (iarden Club's 
exhibit there last fall. We also gave it to a very prominent amateur 
grower in l.os Ang-eles, where it succeeded beyond any expectation The 
coloring- is novel, yellow, suffused with pinkish apricot, lighter in the 
centre and shading' deeiier towards the outer petals. The very larg-e 
flower has good depth and is composed of small, peculiarly shaijcd i)etals 
which give it relineiiient as well as beauty. It is particularly lovely under 
artificial light. Stems are long and ab.solutely stiff and straight. As a 
cut dower, it has most unusual lasting- qualities. A word of advice in 
growing-. This dahlia will produce more blooms lo a bush than any we 
have ever grown, but it must be freely disbudded. U wants lots of 
space, as it is a most luxuriant g-rower. Our bigg-est seller last fall in 
the g-arden and at the show. A very moderate price is quoted because of 
a large unpropaga ted stock having- been grown. Ajiril Delivery. .$.*{..><). 
:^MAHV C. m;R.\S (Bojs.sif Iloslon )- -This is a sensational dahlia which will 
immediately arrest attention because of its extraordinary coloring. The 
outside of the petals are old gold and the reverse a dull red This com- 
bination of red and gold is absolutely new and attracted the immediate 
notice of several prominent professional eastern growers who iiroclaimed 
it the finest dahlia they had ever seen. Wi? could have disposed of our 
entire stock but nrefered to hold it for our retail trade. Stem is admir- 
able, and it is a wonderfully free bloomer. The size is enormous but 
the coloring- is what makes the blossom so unique. In s niie localities the 
dahlia may take a pe(Miy form but it always will be beautiful. The name 
should indicMte its worth as Pr.'sident lUirns of the Dahlia Society of 
California named it for his -ivife. Jt-5.()0. tlreen plants in May. .f.'J.oO. " 
^ArOS.'VM SIJIMJOW ( Jft-.-s.sic V'j.stoii)-— The name should bespeak the excellence 
of the dahlia. The original Osam Shudow was our friend and associate 
who worked so eiiergeti cal b to bring fame to J^essie Boston dahlias before 
his untimely death last year. The cover picture should not only give a 
good idea, of the dahlia but also what we think of it in giving such 
];rominenc(j to it in (_>iir catalogue. Tl-iis decorative received an ovei'- 
whelming- vote as the most i^oiiular dahlia in the 1!) 18 San Francisco show. 
The most iirominent feature of this dahlia is its fiirmation. The big, 
heavy, loose |)etals produce a llowtr moi-e like ■» giganlic rose than a 
dahlia. The picture g-ives a good idea of its coloring which is a delightful 
old rose slightly suffused with lil.-ic and shading to >'ellow at the centre. 
No bloom has ever been less than 1) inches in diameter and most of them 
larger. The bush is very sturdy and tall and the main stalk is the thick- 
est we have ever grown. The flower stem is long, thiciv and heavy and 
the blossom comes well above the attractive foliage. One bloom' is a 
bouquet. A good producer of I'lossonis which are always full to the cen- 
tre, had a big stock of this dalilia but (. very bod.v w ho s.aw it grow- 
ing ordered it. so tile numlier of bulbs now for sale is greatl>- Mn-iiteil. 
April deli\-i'r.v. J;<IO.(Mt. Creen |ilants in Ma.v, .t;5.<t». 
if'l\ Kt_'i\IKI1iO (iU'ssit- Rostoii) — Sunset colors of red and \-ellow. A large 
ileep decorative which gro\vs low but blooms freely all season on fine 
stems. 'I'his was named in honor of one of our Honolulu customer.s. We 
consider this a great improvement on lieatl'ice Slocoiiilie. ¥'^.00. 
DECORATIVE DAHEIAS—Qcneml CoUcctior^ 
'Vln |>i'ic<'.s are toi- strong (iilx-r.s. 
'I'lio.sc slsirrcd arc Calil'oriii.-i tlalilias. 
AMPHIOiV (\\.-.s<) — Was the largest dahlia exhibited in the I'alace Hotel 
Show, 11)17. The ('olor is a sid'L m;iuve or lilac. The blossom is beauti- 
fully fcu-nied witli curled /ind twisted t)etals. The stems are long, but 
slightl.v pendant. The most attractive llowtu- of its kind for exhibit- 
ing-. 50«-. 
•A-.V'/jA I,r0 A (Hcs.sic ISo.sloiO — A big- bloom formed of man.v rows of long narrow 
llorets giving it an unusually attractive, as well as uncomni(Ui shajie. 
The color is soft, creamy yellow, and the outer row of petals is Linge'l 
pinl\. I'Miie graceful stenis. it!l.,'><l. 
