66 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



low ranks, where it had partly subsided (Mr. Thurlow having 

 recently sold his collection), there was a fresh outbreak of the craze. 

 I was not then in touch with these people, but I had heard of a 

 Peony Society. I came home, packed my grip and started to 

 Boston to see the Peony Show, and learn something about Peonies. 



Ever since then Boston has seemed to me the "Hub" in Peony 

 matters, as it used to be for me in things musical, for here in this 

 hall I got my first real inspiration. I stopped off at Cottage 

 Gardens to see Mr. Ward, President of the Peony Society. He 

 was busy collecting flowers for the show, noting new things coming 

 into bloom for the first time, identifying things untrue, etc., and 

 trying his best to be polite to me, all at once. In the light of later 

 experience, I can appreciate his position, but neither he nor I sus- 

 pected then that I was to be his successor. 



I have brought with me a photograph of that Peony Show in 

 1906, that I took myself. Over on one table is a display of HoUis' 

 new seedlings. Several of them. Paradise, Goliath, Bunker Hill, 

 and Welcome Guest received certificates of merit. He also showed 

 a fine lot of Japanese types, then little thought of, but since these 

 have become very popular. Among these especially were Glory, 

 Bobby Bee, and Attraction. Mr. Shaylor carried off the honors, 

 as he has done so many times since, with his splendid collection. 

 Mr. McKissock was there with his fine collection of novelties from 

 France. Of course the Thurlows were represented there, and in the 

 center of the room stood a massive great vase of Richardson's 

 Rubra Superba, which carried off the first prize. Here I first met 

 the Rev. C. S. Harrison, "Evangelist of the Peony," for he, more 

 than anyone else has preached the gospel of the Peony throughout 

 the great northwest. Here I met our Mr. Fewkes, whom all of us 

 of the Peony Society have come to hold in such sincere regard. I 

 visited T. C. Thurlow, the first of the great Peony enthusiasts in 

 New England, at his delightful and hospitable home. I visited 

 James McKissock, and his beautiful collection at West Newton. 



Up at Wellesley Hills I found Mr. Shaylor among his Peonies. 

 In one corner, carefully screened under a tent from the hot sun, 

 we came to the climax of our visit, when he said to us, "There, 

 gentlemen, is the celebrated Lady Alexandra Duff." He was 

 doomed to disappointment, for it turned out at the show to be 



