10 



The Weekly Florists' Review* 



June 16, 1910. 



Feoii.v Millie Leuioini', White Kost\ 



Peony Jioule (]<■ Neitft', Siilpliuied (U-ntei 



Two of the Varieties Originated by the Celebrated French Raiser, Calot. 



is it [Kissililc I'ui him ;il\\;(\s to st'iid 

 ll(i\\ri> to the cxliiliit ion. wliicli may be 

 iioM so I'ar away or at a scasini when 

 iiis plauts are out of bloom. 



To ovcrcoinc this. I oti'cr the sii^j^cs 

 tioii that a cMiniinittci- may bo aiipoiiil 

 0(1 in several localities to whom a new 

 variety might be submitted and. if it 

 met Avith the approval of the sub com- 

 mittee, they migiit recommend the 

 variety and have it passed uiion liy the 

 society as a whole at a later dale. This 

 would nciM'ssitate some dela\' in final 

 recognition, which woidd not be un 

 wise, as tlie merits ot' a \arirty cannot 

 always lie tinally judged until aftei- 

 several years have passed. 



Mr. Koseulield iias set us a ;;ood ex- 

 ample of conservatism in tliis matter 

 of naming new \ .-irietii^s, for while he 

 iias grown seedlings for ni.-iny years 

 he lias inti'ocluced iom)iaiati\(dy few 

 varieties and 1 :im sure all who have 

 serii his Karl Kosenfield will agree that 

 it is a worthy addition to our list, and 

 I hat e\ ell among the \ ast )iumbrr of 

 reds th(>re was room foi' this one. 

 Tliere is room also for an eaily led to 

 ■ ■omiiare with and liioom with I'estiva 

 Maxima, and while the standard estab- 

 lished liy the French growers is high, 

 we sliouid not fail to recognize ami en 

 courage any <ioo(| thing which origi- 

 nates at home. 



Secretary's Remarks. 



read 



he 



Secretary .\. II Few kes 

 following pajier: 



The present membership id' the- soci- 

 ety includes fifty two active members 

 and five honorary members. louring 

 the year we have lost one nuMuber by 

 deatii, Thomas <'. Thurlow, of West 

 Xewbury. Mass., who passed away July 

 •J. 1909. lie was a charter member of 

 the society, taking great interest in all 

 Thaf pertained to it. and was one of 

 the first to make a spcci.alty of the 

 peony in this country. In liis deatli 

 the society has lost a valuable iiuMU 

 ber, and those of us who were privi- 

 leged to know liim intimately have lost 

 an esteemed friend. Since the organ- 

 ization of the society, in ]9().'5. wo have 

 lost bv death three members, and by 



withdrawals ;ind those who lia\e 

 dropped out, tw(d\e. 



Starting with a mere handful of 

 signers in 19()L'. the nn'mliershi)) had 

 increased to thirty six during the year 

 of organization, and, notwithstanding 

 losses, has steadily grown to its jires- 

 ent number. It is encouraging to note 

 that at least two of the nuMnbers who 

 dropped out have this year reinstated 

 themselves, showing that the work ac- 

 complished by the society has w sub- 

 stantial value and tluit, although they 

 liiive been a long time in maturing, the 

 fruits of our laltors are beginning to be 

 available; and all honor is due to those 

 who have stood by and made it possible 

 to accomplish these results. The way 

 has not lieen altogether a snmoth one, 

 and many obstaides have presented 

 themselves, the most eud)anassing of 

 whi(d) has been the comparative small- 

 ness of our membei'shi]p, whiidi has 

 necessarily limited onr a\ailable funds, 

 both for carrying on the noinem lature 

 wiuk and the payment ot' prize money 

 to successful exhibitors. 



The original membership w;is i;ugely 

 composed of commercial men. and in 

 eluded the greater part of tlie large 

 dealers of the country. The number of 

 these latter must necessarily lie Mm 

 ited, and it is to the amateur class that 

 we must look for future members and 

 to whi(di the commercial man nnist look 

 for his most profitable business. The 

 field is a large one, and every nn^mljer 

 should fe(d it incumbent upon himself 

 to use what infiuence he may have with 

 suidi of these as he may come in con- 

 tact with, to interest them in our work 

 and secure them as members. The cir- 

 culars sent out a short time ago were 

 a nn)ve in this direction, and were in- 

 tended to helji present the matter to 

 the public. 



From the inception of oui- society 

 the interest has centered almost en- 

 tirelv upon the herb;iceous class of 

 peonies, particularly the albifiora varie- 

 ties. This in itself is not sur|)rising, 

 as this class is by far the most common 

 and easiest of cultivation, l)ut the time 

 must come when more thought will be 

 given to the Moutan i lass, or tree 



jieoiiies. In them we find ,in entirely 

 different range of color, m.in\- of them 

 being excjuisitely beautiful in shade 

 and texture. Freceding in theii- time 

 of flowering, as they do, the albifiora 

 class, they widen the peon\ ^easou ma 

 terially and add a jieculiar charm to 

 the garden. [Undoubtedly the great 

 reason for their scarcity i^ the impres 

 sion that has gone forth that they .are 

 difficult to cultivate, it is true tlie\ 

 are slow in coming to jM'rfoction aim 

 that grafting must be resorted to to 

 perpetuate the varieties, l>ur where love 

 and skill are bestowed upon them these 

 diUii'ulties fade away, and the reward 

 is a ravishing display of beauty that 

 will repay all the time and care given 

 them. Without doubt many will take 

 exception to these statements, but in 

 reply to them 1 would say that to be 

 convinced that what I have said is 

 true they should visit tlie gardens of 

 Prof. C. S. Sargent, at Brookline, ^lass.. 

 ••ind see what can be done with the 

 .Moutau when its culture i.> made ;i spe 

 ci;ilt\', as it has been done there uiidei 

 the mamtgement of (Jharles Sander. 



The exhibition in connection with 

 the meeting at Queens hist June was a 

 fairly good one, and did much credit 

 to the exhibitors, who, though few in 

 immbers, staged a largt- inunber of 

 llowers. B. II. Farr, George II. Feter 

 sou, .S. (;. Harris, T. A. Ilavemeyer and 

 •lohn Fewis Childs were the exhil)itors. 

 .\lt hough the exhibition of >ut blooms 

 was ;i good one, the display in the fields 

 pro\-ed the greater attraction, fur it is 

 siddom that such a magnificiMit displav 

 of flowers is to be seen. The\- were 

 growing on perfectly level land in one 

 immense block of about se\eii acres, 

 with rows .300 feet in length, and oft'er 

 ing an unusual opportunit\ for study 

 ing the individual characteristics of the 

 varieties, as well as the color efiVcts in 

 masses. 



The visiting members ahi friends 



i feed deeply indebted to tiie I'ottage 

 fiardens Co. for the many courtesies 

 shown them during the tw- days of 

 the meeti)ig. whicli was m.irreij only 



I liy the iina\ oicbable al)senie .«t ( '. W. 



