June 25, 1910 



HORTICULTURE 



947 



PEONY NOVELTIES AT SHAYLOR^S 



At this particular time of 

 tlie year wiieii peonies a)C 

 mentioned in and around 

 Boston, one instinctively 

 thinlis of Shaylor. Shaylor 

 and peonies are synonymous 

 and tlie piquant aroma from 

 the radiant fields on the hill- 

 top beyond the winding 

 Charles which permeates the 

 country air is a seductive ad- 

 vertisement of no small in- 

 fluence. Of course wt 

 couldn't stay away. 



At the time of our visit, 

 foliage and lawns were ev- 

 erywhere of vivid green, all 

 verdure sparkling in the 

 bright sunlight as it only 

 does after a protracted rain 

 in June. The road to the 

 peony fields is well worn 

 with the jn-ocessiou of auto- 

 mobiles and other vehicles 

 which bring many visitors 

 from far and near to see this 

 annual outburst of June 

 glory. All are made welcome 

 and none go away without u 

 gift of blooms as a souvenir 

 of the visit. To the specialist 

 in peony growing, a trip to 

 such a place is full of in- 

 structive interest, for Mr. 

 Shaylor has made it his prac- 

 tice tor years to buy every 

 new sort as it came out from 

 the leading foreign growers 

 and, as his interest is not 

 wholly a commercial one, he 

 has given much time and 

 study to the reduction of 

 confusion in nomenclature 

 and the proper identification 

 of varieties of merit, thus 

 giving all the advantages of 

 a trial ground, the results of 

 which he is at all times 

 ready to impart freely to the 

 trade. 



We find Mr. Shaylor in the 

 midst of the flowers, of 

 course, intent on the devel- 

 oping buds of the novelties 

 which are now making their 

 first acquaintance with an American 

 grower. There are beauties from Le- 

 moine. Dessert and other renowned 

 peony specialists and none of their 

 good or bad qualities escape the scru- 

 tinizing eye of this keen critic. The 

 flower exhibited as No. 201 in Mr. 

 Shaylor's collection at the Peony Show 

 In Boston, is none other than the cele- 

 brated Lady Alexander Duff. That is. 

 it is presumed to be the true one, al- 

 though it is the ninth variety received 

 by Mr. Shaylor as Lady Duff. This 

 particular one, however, is well worthy 

 of the distinction and of Kelway's de- 

 scription :is "the lovliest peony in ex- 

 istence." 



Marie Jacquin is doubling up each 

 year in number of petals. This came 

 to America from Kelway under the 

 name of Bridesmaid and of Lady 

 Helen Vincent, but Marie Jacquin is 

 the original and correct name. The 

 lateral flowers and those that open 

 first are thus far only semi-double, but 

 the stronger blooms are very beautiful 

 in build. The buds are pink flush at 

 time of opening but soon fade to 

 white. Among Lemoine's new varieties 



Pkokt Geohgiana Shayloe 



Solange is sure to attract attention. 

 It is a superb broad-petalled deep-built 

 bloom. The half-opened buds are dull 

 greenish white and give little sugges- 

 tion of the rich shining salmon-pink 

 of the full opened flower. Mignon. 

 another Lcmoiae, 1908, is not yet 

 showing its full size and character, 

 but its color is a lovely fresh and 

 pure soft pink, unlike any other in the 

 field. Primevere, an introduction one 

 year earlier promises well. The cen- 

 tre is sulphur yellow and guard petals 

 pink flushed. Le Sygne is a beauty — 

 white with a greenish luminosity in 

 the heart. 



Among Dessert's new introductions, 

 Odette is somewhat of a sensation. 

 Between the guard petals and the 

 broad centre petals is seen a circle of 

 finely laciniated petals which make a 

 striking appearance quite different 

 from any other variety. The color Is 

 soft flush, outside petals a little 

 deeper. Mme. Jules Dessert, intro- 

 duced last fall, gives every promise 

 of being a winner. There are four 

 plants here of this variety. The 

 flowers come, of course, in an unde- 



veloped shape the first season after 

 importalion. but the color is suf- 

 ficiently indicated to show a pearly- 

 shell pink of unrivalled charm, some- 

 V, hat on th3 order of Aurore. A new 

 red one — also of 1909 — is Francois 

 Rosseau. It is brighter than the old 

 Adolph Rosseau, the petals not glazed 

 but velvety rather on the surface. 

 Pomponette and Mme. Rignoux are 

 two other introductions of last season 

 but there is so far nothing to indicate 

 what they will be. Rosa Bonheur was 

 only partially opened at the time of 

 our visit. It is a decidedly short and 

 stocky grower and the blooms are 

 radiant pink. Theresa is little short 

 uf perfection — a pink flower of noble 

 proportions and build. 



Among the new varieties from Mil- 

 let & Son is Mme. Gaudichau. a most 

 distinct novelty. The flower is a 

 glowing dark red with handsome, reg- 

 ular, cupped petals. It is as yet only 

 semi-double but the process of doub- 

 ling up is well under way. It is 

 unique as to color of stems and leaf 

 stalks which are uniformly dark red 

 in the manner of dark beet foliage. 



