For years | had tried to self-pollenize dahlias using a 
camel’s hair brush, without success. In the summer of 1947, handi- 
capped by a paralyzed left hand, | found by using my thumb and finger 
of my right hand, | could massage the pollen in the center of dahlias 
and with a circular motion engage the sticky threadlike pistils which 
successfully completed the breeding. There are at least 26 species of 
dahlias, (composite flowers) which are native of Mexico. Each petal or 
floret is a complete flower in itself, with a sticky threadlike pistil. When 
tne pollen is massaged around the center of the open flower, it ngages 
the sticky pistils and in-breeding is completed and the seed pods soon 
develop. This is also true with gladiolus, irises and other flowers. With 
the latter two flowers, | collect the pollen between my finger and 
taumb, and press it into tre pistils; in a few days seed pods begin to 
develop. The pistil on irises is a sticky sort of lip. 
After September first, the garden becomes crowded witn bees and 
insects, and tne wind too probably carries more pollen and thus cross- 
pollination takes place. In this way, thousands of pods of the best 
American and European daxlias are produced. Other growers offer 
these seeds from $5.00 to $10.00 per hundred. This season | offer 
tnis seed at $4.00 per hundred or 300 seeds for $10.00. 
The Mendelian seed whicn | produce from the best American and 
European varieties by hand, | offer at $10.00 per hundred seeds. These 
seeds are divided into four named packets (my own selection) of 25 seeds 
each. As most dahlia society members know, several of my introductions 
of tne past 25 years appeared on rolls of honor.and also on the standard 
classification list of the American and Central States Dahlia Societies. 
These varieties were the Angelo Rossi, Bagdad, Barbara Redfern, EI 
Rubio, Mandalay, and Polaris. 
In my catalogue are the photographic reproductions of three of 
the finest dahlias | have ever offered; the Curtis Redfern, Franciscan, 
and El Sueno. 
All are large flowered, each measuring at least twelve inches in 
diameter. | am quite sure each of these new varieties is destined to find 
an important place on future classification standards of the two 
societies, 
