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Jdnb 17, 1009. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 





AMERICAN 

 PEONY SOCIETY 



1 



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THE MEETING AT QUEENS. 



An Enjoyable Reunion. 



The peony convention of 1909, held at 

 he Cottage Gardens, Queens, L. I., Fri- 

 iay and Saturday, June 11 and 12, was 

 ,! gratifying success. 



In the absence of President Ward, who 

 is at his western headquarters in Michi- 

 gan, and not in the best of health, the 

 ('hair was occupied by Prof. John Craig, 

 of Ithaca, who made an ideal presiding 

 officer. He emphasized, in his opening 

 address, the fact that the Peony Society 

 is a working sqjjiety, its great object 

 being to bring order out of confusion and 

 remedy the unclassified condition that has 

 prevailed. 



The preliminary meeting on Friday had 

 an attendance of fifteen to twenty mem- 

 bers and it was decided to adjourn to 

 10:30 on Saturday for the regular con- 

 vention, many being expected from the 

 Rochester Nurserymen's meeting, which 

 did not close until Friday afternoon. 

 Later in the day Prof. Craig decided a 

 special meeting should be called, and 

 again at 4:30 Friday the society con- 

 vened in the handsome office building pro- 

 vided by the Cottage Gardens Co. for the 

 occasion. Here lunches were served each 

 day, and every comfort supplied by Mrs. 

 Ward and the Cottage Gardens' man- 

 agers, Messrs. Brown, Dauphin and 

 Matheron. At the Friday afternoon 

 meeting Secretary Fewkes read the re- 

 port of the meeting at Ithaca in 1908, 

 which was approved. The secretary also 

 read the address of the president, which 

 was as follows: 



President Ward's Address. 



It is with extreme regret that I am 

 compelled to announce my inability to be 

 with our beloved society at its fourth 

 annual meeting, and to also announce 

 that hereafter I shall be unable to take 

 any laborious part or position with you 

 or any other horticultural body. My con- 

 nection with and labors among horticul- 

 turists have been most agreeable, pleas- 

 ant and instructive and I would much 

 like to continue them ; but the condition 

 of my health during the last year warns 

 me that I must cut off all detail work 

 possible and save my strength for tasks 

 that I cannot avoid. I wish, however, to 

 assure you all that my sympathy and 

 support will always be heartily exerted in 

 aiding all horticultural societies, not only 

 in America but in other lands as well, in 

 the grand works they have undertaken. 



The work which the Peony Society was 

 organized to perform has been but fairly 

 begun. Some errors and omissions have 

 likely been made, but these should not 

 discourage you all in continuing the work 

 already planned nor in planning addi- 

 tional work that experience shows to be 

 needful. We all should rather work with 

 renewed vigor and a determination to ac- 

 complish all that which we set out to 

 accomplish. 



Nomenclature. — With the data at my 



command I am at this time unable to 

 make many suggestions of value, but the 

 work already mapped out should be con- 

 tinued, to the end that American peony 

 growers should have at least an authentic 

 list of named varieties that will cover a 

 select list of those varieties most desir- 

 able for general culture on our continent, 

 and that duplicate names should as far as 

 practicable be eliminated from that list. 

 Your nomenclature committee should be 

 composed of capable, practical men, who 

 are willing and able to give it the neces- 

 sary time, observation and attention. 



Essays. — There should be provided at 

 each annual meeting two or three able 



scape Gardening; Peony Colors, pointing 

 out shades of color that are most desir- 

 able and those not worthy of cultivation ; 

 The Peony at Exhibitions, illustrating 

 best methods for keeping, shipping and 

 staging peony blooms at exhibitions. 

 Other subjects will suggest themselves as 

 time passes. 



The Cornell Experimental Plot. — 

 The Cornell experimental work has not 

 proved as successful as might be desired, 

 owing largely to the unfavorable nature 

 of the soil and the lack of continued cul- 

 ture and fertilization, and the condition 

 of the plants at the station is not such 

 as to facilitate a correct study of the 

 varieties or to enable one to judge as to 

 the value of different varieties. Some 

 means should be adopted to provide for 

 proper culture, fertilization and favorable 

 soil conditions, lor until the peonies can 

 be observed in fairly favorable condi- 

 tions, the observations and the deductions 

 therefrom will not likely prove of great 

 general value. 



Annual Exhibitions ihould be held 

 in localities where an attractive and ef- 

 fective exhibition of pecmy blooms may 



Charles Willis Ward. 

 (Absent host and president of the American Peony Society.) 



essayists covering subjects of interest to 

 peony growers, both amateur and profes- 

 sional. Among the subjects that will 

 likely prove of interest might be men- 

 tioned: Cultivation of the Peony, Propa- 

 gation of the Peony, Originating New 

 Varieties by Cross Fertilization, Commer- 

 cial Peony Growing, The Value of the 

 Peony for Cut Flowers, The Peony for 

 the Amateur, The Pisony as a Decorative 

 Plant, The Use of the Peon^ in Land- 



be assured, and at such seasons as would 

 enable near by growers to stage fine dis- 

 plays to good advantage. 



Premiums. — Substantial premiums 

 should be offered, under such conditions 

 as will attract extensive entries and 

 thereby assure fine displays, and rules 

 and regulations should not be so tech- 

 nical or severe as to discourage or drive 

 away exhibitors. _ 



