J. K. Alexander , E. Bridgewater , Massachusetts E. Bridgewater Dahlia Gardens 
Cactus Dahlias 
The greatest and most phenomenal type of all 
Dahlias, showing the most remarkable development 
and being far superior to the other classes. My 
collection of Cactus Dahlias is the finest and most 
up-to-date in existence; the result of a careful se¬ 
lection of the introductions of every Dahlia special¬ 
ist and hybridizer, in reality the very cream of the 
Cactus Dahlia world. We import Dahlias from 
all over the world, testing in our trial grounds several 
thousand. The following varieties have withstood 
our ordeals, as to quality, ability to flower and general 
perfection. 
Sincerely believing the time has come when there 
should be a distinction between the different types 
of Cactus Dahlia, I take this opportunity to divide 
the Cactus Dahlia into three classes; The Incurved 
Cactus, the Straight-petaled Cactus, and the Hybrid 
Cactus. The fact that the term Cactus Dahlia is 
deceiving, leads me to make this distinction. It 
is so general, and the shape so different, that I think 
it best to make a more definite division. In the 
exhibition hall, the Cactus Dahlia is the cause of 
considerable discussion. We claim we should dis¬ 
tinguish the modern incurved and tightly quilled 
Cactus, that is of higher quality and not in the same 
class, from the broad, flat-petaled Hybrid Cactus. 
In judging, the type should be considered, and where 
they are all classed as Cactus Dahlias they are upon 
the same equality, while in reality they are far from 
it. With the following divisions there is sufficient 
distinction to warrant classification and exhibiting of 
each variety in its individual class. 
The Incurved Cactus Dahlia, with quilled and 
incurved petals or florets; the Straight-petaled 
Cactus Dahlia, with quilled, straight petals; the 
Hybrid Cactus Dahlia, with broad, straight, slightly 
quilled and pointed petals. 
Phenomenal New Cactus Dahlias for 1920 
The seven new Cactus Dahlias listed below I offer as being absolutely unequalled for coloring, size and general. 
habit. 
I will send these seven New Introductions prepaid for $18.00. 
ALICE B. RAND. Alexander’s New Incurved 
Cactus Seedling. An exquisite shade of rose, 
much deeper than Tyrian rose, passing to a deeper 
shade at the tips. The flowers are perfectly formed 
and of moderately incurved shape. The plants 
are of good height and produce their blooms on 
long, wiry stems. This new creation received an 
Honorable Mention at the September, 1919 exhibi¬ 
tion of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at 
Boston, Mass. 
$3.00 each. 
BECKET. A valuable addition to the Cactus class 
The plants are tall and sturdy with exceptionally 
good flower stems and produce the blooms freely. 
The color is a delicate shade between deep, mallow 
purple and clear rose blending to white at the cen¬ 
ter. The flowers are large with long, slender petals 
slightly incurved. A fine flower for either garden 
or exhibition. $1.00 each. 
BERTRAM S. VARIAN. New 1920 Cactus Seed¬ 
ling. Named for and with the 
permission of Mr. Bertram S. 
Varian of Weiser, Idaho. A very 
brilliant, deep scarlet of the mod¬ 
erately incurved form, of good size 
on long stems. This is one of the 
freest flowering Dahlias in my 
new list, and this fact combined 
with its brilliant coloring will 
make it especially conspicuous and 
attractive in any garden. $3.00 
each. 
CYGNET. A beautiful lemon-yellow 
at center gradually shading off to 
a paler shade of the same color, 
exquisitely striped and splashed 
bright scarlet-red. This variety 
is one of the very finest Cactus 
Dahlias. The stems are long and 
stiff and carry the blooms well 
above the foliage. The flowers 
are of large size and the petals 
are tightly quilled and gracefully 
incurving. $2.00 each. 
JOSEPH SPRY. New 1920 Cactus 
Seedling. Named after and with 
the permission of Mr. Joseph Spry 
of Boston, Mass., in appreciation 
of his courtesy and efficiency at the 
many exhibitions of the Massa¬ 
chusetts Horticultural Society. 
Nantwich—Incurved Cactus Dahlia. Good Example of the 
Incurved Cactus Type. 
One of the largest and finest of 
the New Cactus dahlias. The 
florets are very tightly quilled 
and long, being almost straight 
until nearing the tips when they 
moderately incurve. The color is 
a beautiful, deep chrome-yellow 
gradually passing to apricot-yellow 
and blending to strawberry-pink 
at the tips. A variety that belongs 
in the first rank as an exhibition 
flower. $5.00 each. 
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