JUNE 17, 1909. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



THE MEETING AT QUEENS. 



An Enjoyable Reunion. 



Tlio peony coiuoiitioii ot' l!)il9, liclil at 

 ic C'ottiifjc CianU'iis, (Queens, I,. I., Fri 

 ly and Saturday, .luiu; 11 ami 1:^, was 

 <;ratil"yiiij^ success. 



In the absence of President Ward, who 

 - at his western liead(juarters in Miclii- 

 aii, and not in the best of liealth, the 

 liair was occu[iic(l by Prof. .lolm <'raijj:, 

 r Ithaca, who made an ideal prcsidinjf 

 nicer. He eniphasi/.ed, in his o|ieniii^ 

 ildrcss, the fact that the IVony Society 

 s ji working society, its great object 

 .ring fo bring order out of confusion and 

 ■ nu'dy tlie uiudassilied condition that iuis 

 ire\ ailed. 



The preliminary nu'cting on I'riday had 



III attendance of fift(>en to twenty nicin- 



•ers ,-iud it was decided to adjourn to 



ill :,'{() (in Satunlay for the regular con 



eiiti<ui, many being exjiected from tlie 



liocdu'ster Nurserymen's meeting, which 



lid not close until Friday afternocui. 



Later in the day Prof. Craig decided a 



-pecial meeting should bo called, and 



igain at 4:.'{(i Friilay the society con- 



\ ened in tlu' handsonu> oltice building |)ro- 



\ idod by the Cottage! (iardens ( 'o. foi- the 



• iccasion. Here huudu's were served each 



• lay. and e\ery comfort supplied by Mrs. 

 Ward aiul the Cidtage (iardens" man 

 igei's, Messrs. Hi'own, Dauphin ;ind 

 Matheron. .\t the I-'riday afternoon 

 meeting Secretary l''ew kes read the re 

 |M.rt of the meeting at Ithaca in liXlS, 

 \\hi(di was approved. The secretary also 

 lead tiie address of tile piesidcnt, which 

 \\;is as follows: 



President Ward's Address. 



It is witii extreiiu' regret that I am 

 '■om|)elle(l to announce my iuabilily to be 

 uith our beloved society at its fourth 



innual meeting, and to also announce 

 iliat hereafter I shall be unable to take 



iny laborious part or |iosition with yon 



'T any other horticultural body, ^fy con 

 iiecti(Ui with ;ind labois among horticnl 

 Mirists have been most agreejible, pleas 



int ami instrnctixe :inil I would much 

 like to continue them; but the couilition 



if my health during the last year warns 

 !iie that I must cut nif all detail work 

 |iossib|c and save my sti'ength for tasks 

 iliat I cannot avoid. I wish, however, to 



issiire you all that my sym|>athy and 

 •~ii|ipciit will always be heartily exertecl in 



liding all horticultural societies, not only 



n .\meiica but in other liuids .as well, in 



he gijiml works they ha\'e undertaken. 

 The \\(uk which the Peony Society was 



irganizi^d to peiform has I)(>en but fa'rly 

 iieirnn. Some errors and omissions have 

 likely been m.'ide, but these should not 



lisc(Mir;ige you .all in continuing the work 



ilready planiu'd nor in |)lanning addi 

 lional work th.at (wperieiu'e shows to be 

 needful. We ;dl should r;ither work with 

 lenewed vigor and a detertnination to ;ic- 

 '■om})lish nil that which we set out to 



iccf)mpligli. 



NoMENCLATUKK. — With the data at mv 



i'o:nmaud I .am at this time unable to 

 make iiuiny suggestions of vahu', but the 

 work already nni])ped out should be con- 

 tinued, to the end that .Vmerican peony 

 growers should have at l(>ast an authentic 

 list of named vaiieties that will cover ,'i 

 s(dect list of *hose \;irieties most desir 

 able for getu'ral culture on our continent, 

 and that duplicate names should as far as 

 practicable be (diminated from that list. 



^'our muuenclature committee sliould bo 

 com|)os(>d of cap;ii)le, ])ractical men, who 

 are willing ami .able to give it the neces 

 s;ii'y tim(\ observatioti ami attention. 



lvssAVs.--TlH're should be provideil at 

 each annual meetin;' twn nv three able 



scape Gardening; Peony Colors, pointing 

 out shades of color that are most desir- 

 abl(> and thosi! imt worthy of cultivation; 

 The I'eony at IvKhibitioiis, illustrating 

 best methods for keeping, sidpping and 

 staging ])eony blooms at exhibitions. 

 ( )| her subjects will suggest themsidves as 

 tinu,' passes. 



The CoKXEi.t. Fxi'kkimentai, Plot. — 

 The Cornell e.\[ieri mental work has not 

 jiroved as successful as might be desired, 

 owing largcdy to the unfiivorable luiture 

 of the soil and tiu' lack of continued cul- 

 ture and fertilization, and the condition 

 of the plants at tin; sttition is m)t such 

 :is to facilitate a correct study of the 

 v.arieties or to enable one to Judge Jis to 

 the value of different varieties. Somo 

 means should bo adopted to provide for 

 proper culture, fertilization ami favorable 

 soil conditions, for until the peonies can 

 lie observed in fairly favorable condi- 

 tions, the observations and the deductions 

 thei-efrom will not likely prove of great 

 general value. 



AxxuAT, ExilllUTioNS slioidd lie hehl 

 in localities where an attractive ami ef 

 tective exhibition of peony blooms m.'iy 



Charles Willis Ward. 



(.\lisent host and prcsiilent of tlic American Peony Society. 



essayists cov>'ring subjects of iiderest to 

 peony growers, both anniteur and profes 

 sional. Among the subjects that will 

 likely prove of interest might be men- 

 tioiu'd: ('ultivation of the Peony, Propa 

 i;.'ition of the Peony. ()riginating New 

 \'aiieties bv ( icks l''i'rtiliz;iiion. ('nmmer 

 cial Peony (irllwiuL,^ The \aliie of tlio 

 i'eony for Cut Flowers, The Penny for 

 the .Vm;tteur, The P.'ony as a Decorati\e 

 Phint, The Us,. ,,t' })|,. i'e,inv ii,i Land- 



be .-issurecl. and at su(di seasons as would 

 eii.-ible nearby growei's to stage fine dis- 

 plays to good advantage. 



PuKMli'MS. — - Subst.aiitia! premiums 

 sliiiuld be olfered, under sucll Conditions 

 ;is will attract extensive entries and 

 thereby assuri' line displays, and rules 

 and regul.at ions should Tu>t be so tech- 

 iiic;il or severe as t<> di^- miaue iir drive 

 ;i\.;iv exliibitor-;. 



