July 4, 1907. 



The Weekly Florists^ Re view* 





AMERICAN PEONY SOCIETY. 



The annual meeting and exhibition of 

 the American Peony Society was held at 

 Ithaca, N. Y., June 27 and 28. The 

 "Forest City," the home of Cornell 

 University, was at its best. Cornell has 

 long boasted, and with justice, the finest 

 location and college campus in the coun- 

 try. The beautiful scenery at Ithaca 

 was well shown oflf by perfect weather, 

 and it was almost like taking a vacation 

 for the members of the society to attend 

 the meeting this year. The College of 

 Agriculture, one of the eight colleges 

 comprising Cornell University, opened 

 the doors of its fine new building to the 

 society. The exhibition was held in the 

 large auditorium of this building and 

 the sessions in the adjoining rooms of 

 the Department of Horticulture. 



The ExhibiUofk 



The nature and keeping qualities of 

 the peony, together with the fact that 

 the members of the society come from 

 all parts of the country, necessarily 

 limit the exhibitors to a few growers in 

 the vicinity and within easy shipping 

 distance. In spite of the fact that there 

 are few growers of peonies near Ithaca, 

 there was a large and creditable show- 

 ing of blooms in the exhibition hall. 



Ellwanger & Barrv, of Rochester, N. 

 Y., and C. W. Ward, of Queens, N. Y., 

 were probably the largest exhibitors at 

 the show. The displays of both, in the 

 collections of fifty blooms, were especially 

 noteworthy, and the honors were pretty 

 equally divided between them. In the 

 amateur classes, although the competi- 



tion was not very keen, the quality of 

 the exhibits was especially fine and was 

 commented on by the judges. 



The Awards. 



For collections of the best twelve and 

 most distinct varieties, six flowers each, 

 C. W. Ward secured first prize. Mr. 

 Ward also carried oflf first prizes in each 

 of the following classes: Best collec- 

 tion of varieties in various shades of 

 rose pink, three flowers each; best col- 

 lection of varieties salmon and flesh-col- 

 ored, three flowers each; best collection 

 of white varieties, three flowers each; 

 best collection of crimson varieties with- 

 out stamens, three flowers each. 



In the classes for fifty blooms, the 

 flowers were among the finest ever ex- 

 hibited. Mr. Ward had the best fifty 

 white blooms, exhibiting Marie Lemoine 

 in this class. Ellwanger & Barry were 

 second, with Festiva maxima. For the 

 best fifty blooms, dark pink or rose, the 

 award was made to Ellwanger & Barry 

 for Modeste Guerin. C. W. Ward was 

 second in this class. Ellwanger & Barry 

 again led in the class for the best fifty 

 flesh or salmon pink, with Jeanne d'Arc. 

 The second place was awarded to Mr. 

 Ward. The latter was again first with 

 the best fifty crimson blooms, for which 

 he used Delache. Ellwanger & Barry 

 drew second award with Rubra trium- 

 phans. 



In the classes for amateurs, Prof. A. 

 P. Saunders, of Clinton, N. Y., was 

 awarded a first prize for the best col- 

 lection of salmon and flesh pink varie- 

 ties, one bloom of each. T. C. Walcott, 

 of Utica, N. Y., exhibited the b'est six 

 blooms of any one variety, and in addi- 



tion was accorded special mention for 

 the general excellence of the blooms. 



The Cornell Test Plats. 



The show had been postponed two 

 weeks in order that the plants in the 

 Cornell test plats might come into 

 bloom for exhibition. The season in 

 central New York this spring has been 

 one of the most backward in years, and 

 consequently the plants came on slowly. 

 The plants have not been forced by 

 high fertilization and excessive cultiva- 

 tion. The roots for these test plats 

 were furnished by members of the asso- 

 ciation, the Cornell Experiment Station 

 agreeing to furnish the ground and care 

 for the plats. About 1,900 roots were 

 set two and three years ago. These 

 undoubtedly comprise between 500 and 

 600 varieties, as we now know them. 

 Some 250 to 300 were in bloom at the 

 date of the exhibition and were to be 

 seen not only growing on the plats, but 

 on the tables in the show hall, where 

 they made an extensive showing and 

 made up a large part of the exhibit. 



The plants in the test plats really 

 need another year or two to grow be- 

 fore their true value may be ascertained. 

 Not only will these plants be left, but 

 additional ones will be added. 



Staodard Collection. 



It is planned that each member of 

 the society shall send to the Horticul- 

 tural Department at Ithaca one strong, 

 vigorous root of each of all of what 

 they consider to be their best varieties. 

 These will be planted in plats and 

 marked with stakes giving the name by 

 which the grower has known the plant 

 and the name of the grower. In this 

 manner it is hoped, not only to straight- 

 en out the nomenclature of the peony, 

 but to determine the commercial value 

 of the different varieties and to select 

 about 100 or 150 standard varieties. 

 Provision was made by the society to 

 aid the Experiment Station still further 

 in its work, by appropriating from its 

 own funds $200, which amount will be 

 placed in the hands of the college treas- 

 urer to expend on the plats. 



Members of the American Peony Society Inspecting the Cornell Peony Test Plats Jane 28. 



