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The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



July 9, 1908. 



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THE PEONY 



IS POPULAR 



RECORDING AND LABELING. 



An Important Item With Peonies. 



Keeping complete records and prop- 

 erly and permanently labeling a field of 

 peonies consisting of several hundred va- 

 rieties, that have been purchased from 

 a number of different growers and at 

 different times, becomes a problem unless 

 done thoroughly and in the right way. 

 Especially is this true where the roots 

 are grown for sale and must be kept 

 true to label. 



The fact that the flood has washed out, 

 or that a careless plowman or hoeman 

 has broken off, the label, or that a fire 

 has destroyed the records does not con- 

 stitute with the buyer a sufficient excuse 

 why one should make him suffer, and the 

 buyer is right. 



Ward "Welsh, of the Perennial Gar- 

 dens, Springfield, O., has, after consid- 

 erable time in experimenting, adopted a 

 method that to me is both simple, safe 

 and sure, consisting of four articles — a 

 record, a chart, permanent and tempo- 

 rary labels. 



There is first a record book of plant- 

 ings, then a chart of the field by rows. 

 Of each of these there are three copies, 

 kept in separate places so as to avoid 

 loss by fire or otherwise. 



The Record. 



Each variety is given a number, which 

 is never changed. This is entered in the 

 record book, the page of the same num- 

 ber being used for its record. Where 

 known the introducer, with year of in- 

 troduction, is given, with the different 

 descriptions one can find; also your own 

 description, with such other notes as may 

 be of interest. 



To illustrate, Marie Lemoine is given 

 the number 31. It will appear on page 

 thirty-one of the record thus: "31 Marie 

 Lemoine (Calot 1869)." 



Then follows the different descrip- 

 tions, noting whose they are. Thus: 

 "10/15/OG Bee 600, 65c, true," would 

 indicate that October 15, 1906, there 

 had been purchased from Beerhorst & 

 Son, 600 Marie Lemoine at 65 cents each 

 and that they were true to name. 



A record is also kept of planting, when 

 divisions are made, and also of sales, 

 with wholesale prices for each year. These 

 are all matters of interest from many 

 points of view and as the years go by 

 the information this record book will sup- 

 ply will not only be of great value but 

 amusing as well. For instance, a record 

 like, this, on page 101: "9/26/04 Joe, 

 — •■ l,b6b,''4(ic, measly pink," would indicate 

 '■.^*M.: t^g;t'rS8^ember 26, 1904, you purchased 

 from Jones & Co. 1,000 Mme. Ducel at 40 

 cents each and that they not only turned 

 out untrue, but worthless for any pur- 

 pose. Does the honest grower put these 

 worthless sorts in his mixture to be sold 

 to nurserymen and to the department 

 store trade at a cheap price? No; they 



find their way to the rubbish pile. In 

 the meantime, you have had it out with 

 Jones & Co. and have either got back 

 your $400 or else are holding the bag. 



Your records will also show that you 

 paid from $30 to $40 per hundred for 

 Festiva Maxima in 1904, while in 1908 

 you are selling them for $14. If such 

 matters are not recorded you soon forget 

 these facts, where you are growing many 

 varieties. By all means keep a record 

 book. Some use cards; I prefer the 

 book, of which a pocket edition is used 

 m the field at blooming and planting 

 time. 



The Chart. 



The chart of the planting consists sim- 

 ply of a record of the rows. The Peren- 

 nial Gardens' planting is divided in the 

 center by a roadway or turning row, the 

 rows on either side being about 300 feet 

 in length. 



Where the varieties are in sufficient 

 quantity, they are planted in even rows; 

 when more than one variety is planted 

 in a row, three feet is left in the rows 

 between each variety. The chart would 

 read thus : * ' Rows 1 to 40 inclusive. 

 No. 30. (The record book shows this 

 to be Festiva Maxima). Row 41, ten 

 feet No. 132; fifty-five feet No. 158; 

 100 feet No. 127." Being interpreted: 

 Ten feet of Avalanche, fifty-five feet of 

 Modeste Guerin, 100 feet of Mme. Buc- 

 quet and 135 feet of Claire Dubois. Thus, 

 with the chart, you can pull up or de- 

 stroy every label in the field and still 

 have no mixture. Your record book goes 

 on forever, while the chart, of necessity, 

 is made new ^fter each planting. 



Permanent Label. 



There are two labels used, permanent 

 and temporary. The permanent label is 

 of red cedar, Ix2%x24, and remains in 

 the ground permanently, driven so that 

 only eight inches remains above the 

 ground, being out of the way and in no 

 way interfering with the cultivation. Tke 

 wood precludes decay. They bear the 

 legend, stamped in the label with a steel 

 die, "12 Uni, " which means Albert 

 Crousse, purchased from the United States 

 Nursery Co. Say this variety had been 

 purchased from ten different firms: each 

 purchase would have a label bearing the 

 number 12 and the first three letters of 

 the name of the firm from which the 

 plants were purchased. There is no 

 guesswork about this label. It tells that 

 certain plants of a certain variety were 

 purchased from a certain firm. When 

 the variety is proven this fact goes on 

 your record book and all but the head 

 label is dispensed with. 



Red cedar is liable to sometimes split 

 down in driving it into the ground, but 

 with care and by placing a block on the 

 end of the label when driving, few are 

 injured. Better to lose a few labels than 

 to use wood in your labels that goes to 

 pieces in a short time. Red cedar is 

 practically indestructible by the elements. 



Temporary LabeL 



The temporary label consists simply of 

 a common pine picket, four feet in 

 length, painted white, with the number 

 and name lettered in black, thus: "276, 

 Marguerite Gerard." This temporary 

 label is used at blooming and digging 

 time and makes it easier for everyone, as 

 referring to records is avoided. One 

 might use ten or more permanent labels 

 for a variety but never require more 

 than one temporary label to head the 

 variety, being placed immediately back 

 of the first or head permanent label of 

 each variety. When not in use, they are 

 stored in the dry and are thus never in 

 the way when cultivating by plow or hoe. 



Care should be taken in the lettering 

 of this label, as it will answer for many 

 years. The lettering should be done neat- 



Doubt'' Peony Mme. Furtado. 



