24 
CARL SALBACH 
1935 
DAHLIAS 
Dahlias are the most colorful of all flowers in the garden and for indoor decoration. 
They are also most satisfactory because a single bulb will produce blooms continuously for 
almost six months, thus giving continual flowers for a very small expenditure. 
We have eliminated the poor keepers from our list with the result that all the dahlias 
we grow are fine for cutting. Last year we tested them all for keeping and found sixteen 
that were very outstanding. This year we have taken pains to secure for our new dahlias 
varieties that are among the best keepers with the result that our list of “Best Keepers” has 
been increased to twenty-four. Every variety so designated in our list should keep from 
three to four days under average conditions. 
NEW DAHLIAS 
This year we introduce three of the very finest dahlias of recent origination with Frank 
Serpa, named after the Oakland amateur who created it, heading the list. This dahlia is 
most outstanding, having been the sensation of the show tables in the San Francisco Bay 
region for the past two years. Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt, named after the distinguished president 
of Mills College, is one of the best varieties for general cutting that has been produced in 
years. The third, Pink Ambassador, we have obtained from a San Francisco professional. 
It is, as the name would indicate, similar to Ambassador, except for the greatly improved 
coloring. 
NEW DAHLIA—FRANK SERPA 
In addition to our three new introductions we also wish to point out five other new dahlias 
that should eventually find their way into every garden. They are Air Mail, Jerome Kern, 
Kaweah, Satan and Sanhican’s Cameo. The three last named are “sure winners” on the 
show table. Air Mail and Jerome Kern are truly outstanding for florist use or as cut flowers 
for the home. 
CLASSIFICATIONS 
In order to establish a definite classification of dahlias, the American Dahlia Society has 
recently divided dahlias into a number of newly defined types. 
Decoratives are “fully double” with generally broad petals. The two types of decorative 
dahlias are: the FORMAL DECORATIVE which, as the name indicates, is regular in the 
arrangement of the petals, with the outer petals generally flat, and the inner ones cupped: 
and the INFORMAL DECORATIVE which is somewhat irregular in arrangement, with the 
petals generally long and somewhat twisted. 
CACTUS dahlias are “fully double” with funnel-shaped petals, which give the flower a 
chrysanthemum-like appearance. SEMI-CACTUS are half-way between the cactus and the 
informal decorative types. 
Abbreviations—F. D.—Formal Decorative; I. D.—Informal Decorative; C—Cactus; 
S. C.—Semi-Cactus. The pompon, miniature and single dahlias are not included in 
this general list, but are described on page 28. 
