J ONE 1. 1005. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



73 



The Field of Irises and Peonies at the Peterson Nursery, Chicago. 



This process usually requires about three 

 or four weeks. 



The small, straggling and blind wood 

 should then be trimmed out and the 

 stronger shoots shortened to four or 

 five good eyes. 



The surface of the soil should then 

 be removed, taking just as much as 

 possible without injuring the roots and 

 then giving a dusting of air-slaked 

 lime. A rich compost of well rotted 

 manure and soil should then be put on 

 to take the place of that already re- 

 moved and the whole given a thorough 

 soaking. 



The temperature for the first three 

 weeks should be kept below 56 degrees 

 at night if possible, giving free venti- 

 lation and keeping the house well mois- 

 tened with the syringe and rather close 

 during the day, gradually increasing the 

 supply of air and water as the eyes 

 break and leaves develop. 



To encourage the dormant eyes at the 

 base to break freely it is frequently of 

 service to bend down the stronger shoots 

 to a horizontal position, tying them to 

 keep them in place. 



I may here remark that shading at 

 any time is very injurious and wherever 

 practiced is sure to cause a weak growth 

 and thin, light colored foliage. Ribes. 



PEONIES AND IRISES. 



The Peterson Nursery, at Chicago, has 

 long been known for the collection of 

 peonies which has been for years a spe- 

 cial object of attention on the part of 

 Wm. A. Peterson. The collection is one 

 of the largest in the country and one of 

 the most carefully handled. Lately Mr. 

 Peterson has turned his attention to the 

 iris and has established a collection 

 which is in every way in keeping with 

 the peony plantation.* He reports that 

 the business in irises has become very 

 heavy. The iris is not a shipping flower, 

 but for local use is becoming very popu- 

 lar and a large number of retail flo- 

 rists who have ground space, have plant- 

 ed collections of iris of more or less pre- 

 tensions. 



The peony ssason at Peterson's is al- 

 ways made the occasion of an invitation 

 to the trade and the public to visit the 

 nursery. It is thought that the display 



will be at its best the latter part of next 

 week and the first part of the week fol- 

 lowing, during which the American 

 Peony Society meets in Chicago. One of 

 the special sorts of interest is Delica- 

 tissima which Mr. Peterson thinks will 

 rank in pinks where Festiva maxima 

 does in white. 



RAISING PEONIES FROM SEED. 



I am glad that there is so much inter- 

 est taken in this glorious flower, the 

 peony. Last fall the writer broke the 

 world's record by planting thirty-five 

 pounds of selected peony seed, and it is 

 curious to watch their moods, for they 

 are full of "moods and tenses." For 

 instance, if you let the seed get dry 

 they will balk then and there. They 

 vrtll lie dormant two years before they 

 will come up. Twenty pounds got dry, 

 and, though covered at the proper depth, 

 not one appeared. I tried various ex- 

 periments in the hopes of overcoming 

 their unruliness. Last fall I soaked some 

 in warm water quite a while and tried 

 to make them forget that they had 

 been dried, all to no purpose. They 

 would riot be fooled. Then I layered 

 some in sand and put hot water on 

 them this spring, treating them as I 

 would canna seed, again all to no pur- 

 pose; not a seed came. And there 

 they will lie all summer and next win- 

 ter and then they will come up by the 

 thousands next spring, but not all. Some 

 will wait yet another year. 



But here comes in a curious thing. 

 Some seeds were overlooked while we 

 were gathering them and they were fully 

 as dry as the rest. The pods burst open 

 and the seeds, as hard as flints, fell 

 on the ground. There they lay in the 

 slush and snow. They were dried 

 fully as hard as the others, but every one 

 seemed to grow. We found little patches 

 by the hundreds which were taken up 

 and transplanted with care. Now who 

 can tell why they should grow in one 

 case and not in the other? Those planted 

 were put in moist ground and were cov- 

 ered with snow all winter. Those scat- 

 tered on the surface were no more moist 

 than the planted ones. They all grew, 

 and the others take a year longer. I 

 knew of some of these peculiarities and 



so gathered a lot of seeds just as they 

 were turning brown and planted them 

 inunediately. These seeds came up all 

 right and are making good growth. I 

 have thousands gathered from white 

 peonies and hope for something fine. 



I ordered twenty-five pounds from one 

 of the choice collections of America and 

 charged the proprietor to be sure and 

 gather them green and put in wet sand, 

 but he was busy and waited until they 

 were dry, which makes me wait a year 

 longer. After the plants appear it takes 

 from four to eight years to find out 

 what they will do and you cannot always 

 tell from the first flowers just what they 

 will be. You must wait a few years for 

 them to be confirmed. There is a fas- 

 cination in this work and in 40,000 or 

 50,000 there must be some of superior 

 merit. C. S. Harrison. 



AMERICAN PEONY SOCIETY. 



The second annual meeting and ex- 

 hibition of the American Peony Society 

 will be held at the Auditorium Hotel, 

 Chicago, Friday and Saturday, June 16 

 and 17, the exhibition being staged in 

 the same hall used for the autumn flower 

 show and more recently for the show of 

 the American Carnation Society. Presi- 

 dent C. W. Ward is of the opinion that 

 the exhibition will considerably excel that 

 held in New York a year ago, and that 

 it will be a display which will compare 

 favorably in interest with displays 

 of any other special flower. Entries 

 must be in the hands of Secretary A. H. 

 Fewkes, Newton Highlands, Mass., by 

 June 10. J. B. Deamud will have charge 

 of the staging of the stock, and exhibits 

 may be sent in his care. 



The premium list is as follows: 



Largest and best collection of double vari- 

 eties, one flower each, first, $15; second, $10; 

 third. $5. 



Collection of best twelve and most distinct 

 double varieties, 8lx flowers each, first, $10; 

 second, $6. 



Collection of double varieties In various 

 shades of rose pink, not less than three nor 

 more than six flowers each, first, 10; second, $5. 



Collection of dotible varieties, salmon and 

 flesh-colored, not less than three nor more than 

 six flowers each, first, $10; second. $5. 



Collection of double white varieties, not less 

 than three nor more than six flowers each, first, 

 $10; second, $6! ' . - 



Collection of double varieties, cream white 

 .ind llBht yellow, not less than three nor more 

 than six flowers each, first, $10; second, $5. 



