The Weekly Florists^ Review 



JONE 24, 1909. 



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f FUTURE OF 

 f^^»^ THE PEONY 



I 



ITS POPULARITY NOT WANING. 



Only Poor Sorts Overdone. 



You will hear every now and then 

 from some grower of peonies that the 

 peony business is overdone, or soon will 

 be. Yet this is true: It is already 

 overdone in a way, and that way is 

 growing the poorer varieties in large 

 quantities. It is surprising to hear the 

 encomiums passed by dealers on worth- 

 less peony flowers, sorts that should not 

 be grown and offered at this day. Can 

 it be true that the nurserymen, who no 

 doubt distribute more of this product 

 than all others combined, fight shy of 

 the good varieties on account of their 

 cost and praise up and push the sale of 

 the poor varieties, on which they can 

 make a profit that puts Standard Oil to 

 shame f If a dealer's standards are to 

 be gauged by the profits alone in the 

 business of handling ornamentals, then 

 that man has missed his calling. The 

 soap or fertilizer business, while not 

 yielding as many shekels, would prob- 

 ably give him more ease of conscience. 



This reminds me of a story that was 

 related at a nurserymen's banquet by 

 one of the craft. He said he had a 

 dream about Mr. A, the president of 

 the association, and Mr. B, one of the 

 little fellows who keeps in the back- 

 ground. In the course of the dream 

 B appears before St. Peter and seeks 

 admission through the pearly gates. St. 

 Peter informs him most emphatically 

 that no nurserymen need apply; that it 

 is a fixed rule; all nurserymen whom- 

 soever are denied admission. While B 

 is lamenting his fate, along comes A, 

 seeking admission. "Certainly," says 

 St. Peter, "walk right in." B turns 

 sharply to St. Peter, saying, "You just 

 told me that no nurserymen were ad- 

 mitted and I see the gates thrown wide 

 open for A." "Yes," replies St. 

 Peter, "but he's no nurseryman; he 

 just thinks he is. ' ' 



Not in your day, nor your son's day, 

 nor your son 's son 's day will the peony 

 business be overdone. But this will 

 happen: The buyer will say to Mr. 

 Dealer who offers him Chinensis Kosea, 

 Nobilissima, Fragrantissima, etc. : ' ' Nay, 

 nay, Pauline! None of these! I wUl 

 buy an Asa Gray or Mile. Bousseau in- 

 stead. ' ' 



There is no question but that up to 

 the present time most of the peony roots 

 that have been distributed to planters 

 should have gone into the discard. 



Notes of the Season. 



The blooming season this year was 

 twelve days behind 1908. The earliest 

 variety to bloom, L'Esperance, opened 

 May 28. Last year this same variety 

 opened May 16. 



Another thing happened. Last year 

 the blooming season, from the earliest 



This l8 the first installment of a paper by 

 John M. Good, to be complete In two parts. — 

 Editor's Note. 



to the latest, extended over thirty days, 

 while this year this time was cut ten 

 days. 



Another matter that attracted pro- 

 nounced attention was the fact that the 

 plants that were protected failed to 

 bloom. To illustrate: A couple of thou- 

 sands of 3-year plants of Mt. Blanc when 

 protected with clover chaff did not bear 

 a single bloom, while the same variety 

 and same aged plants without this pro- 

 tection were a perfect sea of bloom and 

 just a few yards apart. This applied to 

 all varieties alike. Can some one ex- 

 plain whyt 



Observations on Merit and Demerit. 



In going over our fields I made the 

 following notes with regard to varieties: 



Achille (Calot) — This is the Ameri- 

 can Marie Lemoine. The man who sells 

 it under that name should be stood up 

 and lectured. 



Andre Lauries (Crousse) — Deep rose 

 color, a good low-priced variety on ac- 

 count of its being the only one of this 

 color and being a late bloomer. Terry's 

 Grandiflora and James Vick are both 

 seedlings of this and show no variations 

 that we can detect. 



Asa Gray (Crousse) — This was win- 



ner oVer all competitors at two local 

 shows; flesh pink, mottled carmine. 



Albert Crousse (Crousse; — This, to 

 our way of thinking, is a superior vari- 

 ety to any of its color. Every flower 

 comes perfect; color an even, solid En- 

 chantress or seashell pink. If there is 

 a better one of this color, trot it out. 



Agida — Where a bright line of color 

 is needed this has no superior that we 

 know of; semidouble, bright red. 



Boadicea — This is one of the superb 

 things in peonies that is floating around 

 without any one knowing where it comes 

 from. Not as free as we would like it. 

 Late; white with carmine blotches; high 

 built flower; superb. 



Brennus — A good double dark red; 

 not so deep in color as L'Ecletante. 



Berlioz (Crousse) — A light shade of 

 red tipped with silver; large flowers and 

 free. 



Canari (Guerin) — A good peony with 

 fleshy white guards and light yellow cen- 

 ter; strong grower. You will not dis- 

 appoint any one in selling them this va- 

 riety. 



Charlemagne (Crousse) — After three 

 showers in as many days, the sun com- 

 ing out after each rain, this variety sim- 

 ply said good-bye till next year; it has 

 too many petals to open properly. 



Dorchester (Richardson) — In a class 

 by itself for extremely late light-col- 

 ored pinks; fine; every bloom erect. 



Due de Wellington (Calot) — Out- 

 classed, in our estimation, by many other 

 whites. 



Dr. Boisduval (Guerin) — We know of 

 no better dark velvety red; large double 

 flower; stock scarce. Dessert says this 

 is like Delachei. We have Delachei from 

 several growers in this county. The 

 flowers are semidouble and by no means 



Peony Mme. Enule Gallc 



