31? 



HORTICULTURE 



October 23, 1920 



RAMBLING OBSERVATIONS OF 

 A ROVING GARDENER 



The last issue of the Peony News 

 Bulletin which has just come to hand 

 is a highly interesting and informa- 

 tive document containing much which 

 will be of value to peony lovers every- 

 where. Of course there is consider- 

 able to do with the annual meeting 

 and show at Reading, Pa., and some 

 of the points brought out, I think, have 

 not been covered adequately in any 

 other publication. An especially inter- 

 esting discussion was that relating to 

 humus. There has been much ques- 

 tion as to the value of humus, but 

 several growers reported that it did 

 much to increase the quality of their 

 peonies. Mr. George Thurley, of West 

 Newbury, Mass., told of digging humus 

 from peat bogs, and found there was 

 a great difference in quality, some- 

 thing to be considered before the ex- 

 panse of digging and transportation 

 was incurred. He said he had found 

 meadow muck, which is practically 

 peat or leaf mold, excellent. ^\Tiere 

 commercial fertilizers are used in- 

 stead of barnyard manure it is desir- 



able to add humus in one form or an- 

 other. 



.Mr. James Bird reported that while 

 he used no humus, he is carrying out 

 a series of exact and systematic ex- 

 periments on fertilizers, which ought 

 to prove very valuable in future years. 

 He considered that weak stems are 

 often due to lack of potash, and says 

 that much lime is bad for peonies, al- 

 though irises will stand any amount 

 of it. 



gardens are to be found there. This 

 Bulletin calls attention to a fine paint- 

 ing to be seen at the Metropolitan Mu- 

 seum of Art. This is a picture of 

 peonies by Wilton Lockwood, who was 

 a member of the American Peony So- 

 ciety up to the time of his death. As 

 the Bulletin says, it is not hung so 

 well as It would be if there had been 

 a peony man on the staff of the Mu- 

 seum, but the picture is delightful in 

 itself, and gives much of the spirit of 

 the peony. It seems to have been 

 painted from blooms of La Rosiere. 



Boston people will be pleased at the 

 fact that the next convention and ex- 

 hibition are to be held in the Hub, if 

 possible in connection with the peony 

 show of the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society. 



In this number of the Bulletin is an 

 excellent article from the pen of Mr. 

 Ohristman about the spring shows in 

 Minnesota and St. Paul. Very great 

 interest in peony growing has devel- 

 oped in Minnesota, and some fine 



One of the most satisfactory plants 

 in the fall is Helenium autumnale 

 superbum. It flowers when most of 

 the other perennials have gone. It 

 sometimes acts in a peculiar way, how- 

 ever. Ordinarily it grows about four 

 feet high, and in good soil sometimes 

 gets to five feet, so that it is common- 

 ly used among the taller plants. This 

 year, however, the plants in my bor- 

 der have not exceeded three feet in 

 height, making them quite dwarf com- 

 pared with their usual standard, and 

 producing an effect somewhat different 

 from what I had intended. I think 

 that the explanation is that the plants 

 were stunted in the spring by some 

 sort of insect, and bloomed without 

 making their natural growth. 



Salvia Virgata Nemorosa 



