24 



The Florists' Review 



JONi 28, 1921 



Brown, Queens, L, I., N. Y.; B. H. Farr, 

 Wyomissing, Pa.; A. M. Brand, Fari- 

 bault, Minn.; J. J. Lane, New York 

 city; T. A. Havemeyer, New York city; 

 Leonard Barron, Garden City, N. Y.; 

 A. F. Faulkner, New York city; Dr. J. 

 D. Smith, Dayton, O.; J. C. Wister, Phil- 

 adelphia, Pa.; Wm. A. Peterson, Chi- 

 cago, 111.; Geo. H. Peterson, Fair Lawn, 

 N. J.; Miss Springer, Topeka, Kan., and 

 L. R. Bonnewitz, Van Wert, O. 



Bertrand H. Farr lectured each after- 

 noon of the show to large and deeply in- 

 terested audiences on peonies and their 

 culture, answering numerous questions. 



Thurlow's Party. 



June 18 T. C. Thurlow's Sons Co. 

 took a large party of peony enthusiasts 

 to the Cherry Hill Nurseries, West New- 

 bury, where about 500 varieties of 

 peonies are grown and a large propor- 

 tion were still in excellent flower. The 

 attractive nurseries^ with the huge, well 

 trimmed hedges of Norway spruce, and 

 the large plantings of iris, phlox and 

 other perennials, kalmias in splendid 

 bloom, rhododendrons and many other 

 trees and shrubs, greatly interested the 

 visitors. The weather was ideal and 

 the romantic drive much enjoyed, to say 

 nothing of the splendid lunch served 

 at West Newbury. Another party vis- 

 ited the nurseries as Messrs. Thurlow's 

 guests June 20. W. N. C. 



PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



Trend of the Society. 



As peony growers, we are glad to 

 meet in the metropolis of New England, 

 the land of Hollis and of Richardson. 

 We, from farther south, have been 

 thinking of these two ancient peony 

 enthusiasts a great deal the last few 

 days, because Hollis 's Supreme and 

 Richardson's Grandiflora have been al- 

 most the last reminders of a perfect 

 peony season. 



Peonies thrive in the sun and you, 

 whose vocation keeps you indoors, can 

 at once see that we, who grow peonies, 

 not only thrive in the sun, but that the 

 sun itself leaves its mark upon us. 

 Just glance around the room and you 

 will have no trouble to decide at once 

 which ones of us grow peonies bv proxy 

 and which ones grow them with our 

 own hands. I am a firm believer in the 

 statement that the growing of peonies 

 brings health, pleasure and a long and 

 happy old age. 



The American Peony Society was or- 

 ganized in the east less than two dec- 

 ades ago, and as we look over the list 

 of the original members we can at once 

 see that it was organized by men who 

 not only loved peonies, but who were 

 also interested in growing them for 

 profit. But a change is coming over the 

 society. We are glad that it still con- 

 tains those who are growing peonies 

 for profit, but it is a great satisfaction 

 to see that its membership is being 

 swelled by great numbers of peony en- 

 thusiasts who grow this wonderful 

 flower for its beauty, size, color and 

 fragrance. These peony enthusiasts now 

 so far outnumber the commercial peony 

 growers that the society seems to con- 

 sist almost wholly of amateurs, for I 

 really believe that there are ten ama- 

 teurs in our society to every one pro- 



The nddresg of Lee R. Bonnewlti. of Van 

 Wert. O., president of the American Peonr So- 

 <"l«ty, ^at the annual meeting, at Boston, "June 



fessional grower. And this brings to 

 me the thought that as the amateurs so 

 outnumber the professionals, we pro- 

 fessionals should hand over to them 

 more of the responsibilities of the so- 

 ciety. At the present time, I believe, 

 there is only one ofiicer of the society, 

 our treasurer, Mr. Scott, who is not in 

 the business of selling peonies. The 

 society has made two efforts to place 

 amateurs at its head. Once, in 1917, it 

 elected Mr. Boyd, an amateur, as presi- 

 dent, but while in office he graduated 

 into a professional grower. In 1919 the 

 society again selected an amateur, in 

 the person of your present presiding 

 officer, to look after the affairs of the 

 society, but he followed Mr. Boyd's ex- 

 ample and also became a professional 

 grower. And so, at this meeting you 

 have again the opportunity, if you so 

 wish, to select an amateur to bring his 

 enthusiasm into service for the advance- 

 ment of the society. 



Prosperous Year. 



We are glad to report a substantial 

 increase in our membership during the 

 last year, probably twice as great an 

 increase as has taken place in any for- 

 mer year, and this increase in member- 

 ship has brought with it a satisfactory 

 increase in finances, so that we are 

 able to offer better premiums at this 

 show than at any preceding one, and I 

 doubt not that our treasurer's balances 

 will also show satisfactory increases. 

 All this augurs well for the future of 

 the society, which I believe is destined 

 to become one of the largest, if not the 

 largest, flower-growing organizations 

 in the world. It is true that we have 

 our problems to solve, but I believe the 

 membership is able to solve every one 

 of them satisfactorily. Our last bul- 

 letin, just issued by our efficient secre- 

 tary, shows much progress in the solv- 

 ing of the problem of the elimination 

 of unsatisfactory varieties. We are 

 proud of the good work of our able sec- 

 retary, and hope that he will live to be 

 a centenarian and that throughout his 

 years he may be willing to devote his 

 energies to such good work for the 

 peony as he has been doing for the last 

 ten years. 



The Exhibition. 



This is the annual meeting of the so- 

 ciety, when every member is expected, 

 or at least has the right, to be present. 

 But we have come here today, not for 

 the purpose of exercising our rights, 

 but for the privilege of being able to 

 see a display of the flowers which we 

 think are the most beautiful on earth. 

 Now, these flowers have all come from 

 individual gardens and they have been 

 brought here with the tender care of 

 loving hands for your enjoyment and 

 for mine, and we want to express to 

 every exhibitor an appreciation of his 

 loyalty to the aims and objects of our 

 society. 



It is a pleasing thought that every 

 peony enthusiast gathers unto himself 

 a coterie of friends who absorb his en- 

 thusiasm for our favorite flower, and 

 who in their turn spread the enthusiasm 

 to others. T believe there is an unlim- 

 ited field of opportunity for the sale 

 of the finest varieties of peonies to 

 millions of our people, who do not now 

 even know that the peony is a flower 

 of such easy growth and culture, and 

 do not realize what pleasure they are 

 missing by failing to grow it in their 

 gardens. There are many counties in 



the United States, where, at the pica- 

 ent time, there is not a single hijjh. 

 grade peony, and if you and I can by 

 our own enthusiasm engender a desire 

 for the possession of one of these trias. 

 ures in the heart of even one individ lal 

 in each of these communities, the res ilt 

 will be that the peony will beco ne 

 known as the great American flow r, 

 which can be grown successfully f r^ m 

 Alabama to Alaska, and from C:.ii. 

 fornia to Quebec. 



PROVIDENCE SUMMER SHOW 



The early summer show of the Rh( .le 

 Island Horticultural Society was h. Id 

 in the ballroom of the Narragans tt 

 hotel. Providence, June 17 and 18. Tue 

 erratic season made the number of < n- 

 tries fewer than a year ago. Peoni. s, 

 which usually make a big show, wore 

 almost conspicuous by their absence, but 

 there were some displays of outstanding 

 merit. 



Remarkably flne was the large collrc- 

 tion of climbing roses from A. J, Fish, 

 New Bedford, Mass. Prominent vari- 

 eties shown included Alida Loveft, 

 Climbing Frau Karl Druschki, Silver 

 Moon, Dr. Van Fleet, Christine Wright, 

 Petite Jeanne, Electra, Rosiere, Tau- 

 sendschoen. Goldfinch, Dr. Huey, Bar- 

 oness Ittersum, W. C. Egan, Oriole, 

 Gerbe Rose, Climbing American Beauty, 

 Bess Lovett, Sander's White, Carmine 

 Pillar and Paul's Scarlet Climber. 



Sweet peas of superb quality were 

 shown by William Gray, Newport, R. I., 

 ex-secretary of the American Sweet Pea 

 Society. Flowers of grand size, four to 

 a stalk and with 18 to 24-inch stems, 

 were shown of such fine varieties as 

 Constance Hinton, Rosabelle, Elegance, 

 Mrs. Tom Jones, Floradale Purple, 

 Hawlmark Pink, Daisybud (a beautiful 

 delicate pink), Burpee's Giant White 

 and R. F. Felton. W. G. Taylor, of 

 Newport, showed equally fine vases of 

 Felton 's Cream, Hercules, Charity, Aus- 

 tin Frederick, Constance Hinton, Daisy- 

 bud, R. F. Felton, Mrs. C. Elliott, Rosa- 

 belle, Mrs. Tom Jones and Mrs. A. 

 Hitchcock. 



Roger Williams park. Providence, of 

 which F. C. Triggs is superintendent, 

 showed a long table of rambler, hybrid 

 tea and hybrid perpetual roses. Particu- 

 larly good were Mrs. Andrew Carnegie, 

 Purity, Mrs. Sharman-Crawford, Ophelia 

 Supreme, Mrs. Taft, H. V. Machin, 

 Arnold Jensen, Indiana, Jonkheer J. L. 

 Mock, Willowmere, Chateau de Clos 

 Vougeot and Captain Hayward. 



The Colonial Flower Shop captured 

 first for the best mantel decoration and 

 also for a bridal bouquet, with charm 

 ing arrangements. T. J. Johnston & 

 Co. showed beautiful arrangements of 

 hardy larkspurs and roses. For table 

 decorations Mrs. S. M. Brown was first 

 with a nice basket of hardy larkspurs; 

 Colonial Flower Shop, second. John S. 

 Doig, gardener to F. S. Peck, Harrington, 

 R. I., had the best circular group of 

 flowering and foliage plants, his crotons 

 being particularly good. He was also 

 first for the best collection of herba- 

 ceous perennials, the larkspurs, ther- 

 mopsis and campanulas being fine. John 

 E. Howe, the Metropolitan park super- 

 intendent, of Providence, showed an in- 

 teresting collection of cacti and 

 Ephraim Morley's roses in the amateur 

 classes had great merit. 



W. N. Craig, Brookline, Mass., was 

 judge. There was a good attendance 

 each day of the show. 



