226 



HORTICULTURE, 



August 26, 1905 



free-blooming pseonies of clear and de- 

 cided colors and double form, as are 

 especially desirable for the cut-flower 

 trade. Fancy preonies, on the other 

 hand, would include many of the most 

 beautiful sorts, which either by slower 

 increase, less abundant blooms or 

 some peculiarity of form or coloring, 

 are adapted for the general cut flower 

 market. La Tulipe, Golden Harvest, 

 Prolifera Tricolor, are mentioned as 

 examples of the fancy pseony. Of 

 course all the varieties classed as com- 

 mercial are adapted also for private 

 use under certain conditions, but the 

 contrary does not apply. Their 

 adaptability for lawn bedding should 

 also be taken into consideration, for 

 some of the varieties which make 

 handsome specimen flowers are the 

 least attractive of plants when not m 

 bloom. As a good example, let us con- 

 trast Festiva Maxima, which pro- 

 duces a handsome flower with a very 

 long stem, and has no superior in the 

 cut flower market, with Festiva, the 

 flower of which is almost its equal, 

 but which forms a handsome round 

 bush with abundant dark green foli- 

 age, which is quite ornamental after 

 the blooming period is over. 



The period of blooming is another 

 factor to be taken into account. There 

 are certain kinds of pwonies which are, 

 so far as shape, color, size and texture 

 are concerned, identically alike and no 

 man living could detect any difference 

 between the latest bloom of the one 

 variety and the earliest flower of the 

 other, but the possession of the two 

 sorts lengthen the blooming season 

 from eight to fourteen days, and this 

 difference alone determines their 

 claim to distinctness. 



We submit the following list of 

 pa?onies as being the best twelve for 

 general cultivation, it being understood 

 that the varieties named will extend 

 the season of flowering from early to 

 late. The first to flower are Tenui- 

 folia, both single and double: then 

 comes the Officinalis, or what is com- 

 monly termed the "Grandmother's 

 pffionv," flowers very dark crimson, 

 also "white. The others recommended 

 are Festiva Maxima, Fottsii alba, 

 Mons Jules Elie, Livingston. Delica- 

 tissima, Richardson's Rubra Superba, 

 Giganthea, Couronne d'Or, Louis Van 

 Houttii, Delachii. 



Your committee are of the opinion 

 that they should request the co-opera- 

 tion of the Pseony Society for the pur- 

 pose of straightening the nomencla- 

 ture and classification of the pseony. 



EDWIN LONSDALL. 



J. T. TEMPLE. 



PETER BISSET. 



known to the committee until the work 

 was done, a uniform set of thoughts 

 pervaded the whole; difference of ex- 

 pression and composition making it 

 apparent that a composite paper of 

 high character could be made out, sev- 

 eral of the papers were so close in ex- 

 pressive sentiment and diction as to 

 bring them almost equal, but in these 

 particular ones expressions foreign to 

 the subject were added which forbade 

 their ranking as high as they might. 

 The result of the work is that the 

 first prize $25, is awarded to S. S. 

 Skidelsky, Philadelphia; second prize, 

 $15, is awarded to Henry Eichholz, 

 Waynesboro, Pa.; third prize, $10. is 

 to J. Austin Shaw, New York. 



REPORT OF JUDGES OF ESSAYS 

 ON IDEAL EMPLOYER. 



A paper read by President Vaughan 

 at last year's convention, entitled "The 

 Ideal Employee." lead to an offer of a 

 prize of $50 by Treasurer Beatty. to be 

 divided into three parts, $25, $15, $10, 

 and awarded as three prizes for essays, 

 ranking — first, second and third, on the 

 topic of "The Ideal Employer." The 

 committee appointed to examine the 

 essays and decide upon their merits 

 examined the entire 23 essays submit- 

 ted, going individually over each, and 

 then comparing the whole, the com- 

 mittee sitting collectively. Through 

 the majority of the papers, which were 

 marked alphabetically, no names being 



THE SHOOTING TOURNAMENT. 



This interesting feature of the sports 

 department of the convention took 

 place on the grounds of the Analostan 

 Gun Club. As elsewhere, the busy 

 representatives of the Florists' Club 

 of Washington were on the alert to 

 see that everybody was supplied with 

 material refreshment. The shoot was 

 under the management of Z. D. Blacki- 

 stone and John Westcott. 



In the team contest Philadelphia 

 won with 98 out of 125. For the high- 

 est individual scores, W. K. Harris 

 and George Anderson were tied at 23 

 out of 25. The prize, a fishing rod 

 and reel, is to be deposited at the 

 Barnegat Club for joint use. 



In the championship shoot. George 

 Anderson of Philadelphia, and H. 

 Brown of Richmond, Ind., tied, with a 

 score of 45 out of 50. They declined 

 to shoot off the tie, and each tried to 

 induce the other to accept the prize. 

 At last accounts Mr. Anderson held it. 

 H. M. Altick of Dayton, 0., was third 

 with a score of 42. 



In the consolation match. Burdett 

 of 'W'ashington, was first, F. Bailey of 

 Washington, second, Blackistone of 

 Washington, third. Smith of Philadel- 

 phia, fourth, and Scott of Buffalo, 

 fifth. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON 

 SPRING EXHIBITION. 



Yuur coniniittee reports that it is 

 the unanimous opinion of the members 

 thereof that there should be a spring 

 meeting of the S. A. F., and an exhibi- 

 tion of plants and cut flowers, national 

 in its character, should be held in con- 

 nection therewith some time next 

 March in Boston. Mass.. and that, if 

 possible the co-operation of the Rose 

 and Carnation Societies be secured. 

 The said meeting and exhibition 

 should continue three days, and all 

 arrangements should be carried out by 

 the officers and executive committee 

 of the S. A. F.. who should have full 

 power to add to their number, pro- 

 vided that your committee succeed in 

 raising a guarantee fund of $10,000. to 

 defray expenses of the proposed ex- 

 hibition. 



The committee advise that the next 

 succeeding annual meeting and ex- 

 hibition be held in Chicago in 1907. 

 (Signed) 



J. C. VAUGHAN. 



ALEX. MONTGOMERY. 



PETER FISHER. 



E. G. HILL. 



A. HERRINGTON. 



ROBERT CRAIG. 



A LETTER OF THANKS. 



Washington, D. C, Aug. 20, 1905. 



Dear Mr. Editor,— May I through 

 the columns of your esteemed paper 

 express mv thanks and appreciation to 

 the ladies of the S. A. F. O. H. for the 

 beautiful cut glass ice cream dish and 

 silver spoon they presented to me. 



At the time of the presentation my 

 surprise was so great and my heart so 

 full, that I could not find words to 

 express my thanks, and could only 

 give evidence to my feelings through 

 woman's greatest consoler — tears. 



Again thanking all and especially 



the originators of the "happy thought." 



I am yours most respectfully, 



MRS. JOS. R. FREEMAN. 



VARIOUS HAPPENINGS. 



In a supplementary report the 



judges awarded a certificate of metit 



to August Cort & Son for a stake 



fastener. 



The only special exhibits of Amer- 

 ican grown bulbs was made by Poat 

 Bros, of Ettrick, Va., who sent sam- 

 ples of healthy-looking narcissi in four 

 varieties. 



The committee on contributions to 

 the Vilmorin memorial fund reported 

 having collected $112.15 and turned 

 over the amount to Prof. Sargent 

 The number of contributors was 

 eighty-nine. 



The immortelle flag contest for 

 prizes offered by H. Bayersdorter & 

 CO., brought out two very handsome 

 pieces of work by artists with A. Gude 

 and Bro. and Z. D. Blackistone. These 

 were displayed on the stage ai Ma- 

 sonic Hall. 



The ladies to the number of forty 

 had a glorious time at the Y. M. C. A. 

 bowling alleys on Thursday afternoon: 

 and some of them made a more credit- 

 able record, everything considered, 

 than did the male representatives 

 from their respective towns. Nine- 

 teen prizes were won. 



A very sad occurrence in connection 

 with the convention was the death of 

 L. E. Dake. Mr. Dake was present as 

 the representative of Brown Bros., 

 Rochester, N. Y., and joined the soci- 

 ety on Tuesday. On Thursday evening 

 he was taken suddenly ill and died an 

 hour after being carried to the emer- 

 gency hospital. 



A beautiful masonic charm was pre- 

 sented by the exhibitors to George H. 

 Cooke, superintendent, and a diamond 

 pin to Lewis Freeman, assistant super- 

 intendent, in recognition of their efB- 

 ciency and courtesy in the perform- 

 ance of their duties. The presenta- 

 tion speeches were made by E. A. 

 Seidewitz and Harry Bayersdorter. 



On Thursday evening after the lec- 

 ture the officers-elect were called to 

 the stage and each responded briefly 

 amid much enthusiasm. The bowl- 

 ing trophies were then presented to 

 their several winners, J. D. Carmody 

 officiating as spokesman in his char- 

 acteristic witty manner. The trophies 

 won at the shooting contest had been 

 distributed at the gun club's grounds 

 in the afternoon, this duty being per- 

 formed by Col. E. B. Hay. 



Vice-President Freeman's store on 

 13th street, was open for the reception 

 and entertainment of visitors after the 

 closing session of the Society on 

 Thursday evening. No less than two 



