GREETING 
TO OUR FPvIENDS: PAST, PRESENT AND COMING 
If you have not the "Dahlia Bug-," you will soon get it. We prophesied 
last year that the dahlia was becoming- the favorite flower in this country. 
We have no hesitancy in saying- that our prediction has come true, in Calif- 
ornia, at least. Five thoiisand people attended the show at the Palace Hotel, 
in San Francisco, given by the Dahlia Society of California, in September 
1917. During- the season of bloom, which lasted four and a half months, our 
farm was thronged with visitors. At the California Land Show, held late in 
October, in San Francisco, several hundred thousand people visited the San 
Mateo booth to see our dahlias, and the exhibit won the Gold Medal. 
The dahlia is a man's flower as well as a woman's. We are constantly 
told: "My husband never took any interest in flowers until I began to grow 
dahlias, and now he tells me to plant nothing else, and he keeps a bouquet 
of the blooms on his office desk." 
. "Why 'ai-.^ dahlias so much in favor?" you ask,; — you \yho have not yet 
acquired the "Dahlia Bug." We reply: "Because no other flower has such a 
long blooming season, such brilliancy and diversity of color. No other plant 
will grow almost in any soil or in any climate and give such splendid results 
with moderate care." We grow our dahlias in the sunshine and in a heavy 
adobe soil, and the prizes awarded to us show we grow them successfully. 
The past year was one of triumphs for us and for our dahlias. We w<m 
a greater number of prizes than any other grower In the two big dahlia 
shows held in San Francisco. Not only did we win three trophy cups and 
^, four GOLD MEDALS besides many other firsts, but the dahlias we sold won 
many- prizes for their exhibitors. An amateur, Mr. J. W. Davles, who took 
the greatest number of prizes bought his stock from us. So you see we 
retain the fame we won by getting the Grand Prix at the Panama-Pacific 
International Exposition In 1915. 
Mr. T. A. Burns, president of the Dahlia Society of California, offered a 
magnlflcient trophy cup for the best California dahlias exhibited In the Palace 
Hotel Show. We had the pleasure of winning the Burns prize with the 
dahlias -w^hich originated in our garden. We also had the honor of winning 
the beautiful trophy cup donated by Mrs. Samuel H. Taft, of Cincinnati, Ohio, 
for the best twelve blooms of a single variety exhibited at this show. Our 
own "Jane Selby" won this prize. 
The best dahlias grown last season were Callfornians. The war has 
played havoc with the European growers and most of our Imported stock of 
1917 was dug up and thrown away after blossoming. We consider them un- 
worthy of a place among our fine dahlias. 
Visitors are al-vvays welcome at our farm, especially in blossom time, 
when those interested in dahlias can make their selections in the field from 
the flowering plants with much greater satisfaction than from catalog des- 
cription. 
The farm Is located on the State Highway, near Tilton Avenue, San 
Mateo. Take car at Fifth and Market Streets, San Francisco; get off at Tilton 
Avenue; walk two blocks west. 
ORDER EARLY — Early orders are solicited to prevent disappointment in 
case the variety desired should be sold out. 
FORWARDING — We begin to ship our tubers from February 1st, \inle.ss 
otherwise ordered. We prepay all retail orders when accompanied by cash. 
GUARANTEE — We guarantee that all dahlia tubers or plants sent are 
true to name. 
SUDSTITUTIOIV — We do not substitute unless expressly noted, or by per- 
mission; but it is well to mention a few varieties that you are willing to 
have substituted should some of those selected by you be sold out. 
CUI/riiRE — Dahlias can be planted from March until July. In every box 
we ship, we enclose full directions for growing. 
