

June 27, 1912. 



The Florists' Review 



13 



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Members of the American Peony Society in the Trial Field at Cornell University, June 20, 1912. 



and to Professor Beal for the many 

 courtesies extended the visitors. Eeso- 

 lutions were adopted expressing the 

 sympathy of the society for Professor 

 Whetzel, chairman of the committee 

 on peony diseases, in the sudden death 

 of his wife. 



During the two days, the ^embers 

 spent all the time possible at the trial 

 grounds, where the peonies were in 

 superb condition for study. The ex- 

 cellent condition of the plants was 

 freely commented upon by all the mem- 

 bers, and the meeting throughout was 

 considered the most successful in the 

 history of the society. 



Among those present were: 



Baird, C. A., Rochester, N. Y. 



Brown, R. T., Queens, L. I. 

 Bryant, G. A., Princeton, 111. 

 Card, F. W., Sylvania, Pa. 



Carter, , Syracuse, N. Y. 



Catley, Captain H., Syracuse, N. Y. 

 Cowan, O. H., Ashawa, Ont. 

 Connon, John, Hamilton, Ont. 

 Cunningham, E. E., Rochester, N. Y. 

 Dickinson, O. H., Springfield, Mass. 

 Engle, W. J., Dayton, O. 

 Farr, B. H., Reading, Pa. 

 George, B. B., Painesville, O. 

 Harris, S. G., Tarrytown, N. Y. 

 Knapp, Dr., E^ran8Tille, Ind. 

 Labodny, A., Glenhead, N. Y. 

 Maloy, C. J., Rochester, N. Y. 

 Peterson, G. H., Fairlawn, N. Y. 

 Reeves, E. A., Cleveland, .O.V 

 Rleman, W. A., Vincenne9,,lod. 

 Saunders, Prof. A. P., CllnttoB,' N. Y. 

 Styer, J. J., ConcordvUle, Pa. 

 Styer, Mrs. J. J., ConcordvUle, Pa. 

 Swayne, David, West Chester, Pa. 



FBESIDEXT FABB'S ADDBESS. 



[The address of President B. H. IFarr at the 

 annual meeting of the American Peony Society, 

 Ht the New York State College of Agriculture, 

 Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., June 10 and 

 -JO. 1912. J 



A full decade has passed since this 

 society was organized, and for the third 

 time we are assembled here at Cornell 

 to consider the progress ol the work 

 we set out to accomplish ten years ago. 

 Looking back, we see that our mem- 

 bership roll of the earlier years con- 

 tains but few names that are not en- 

 rolled at the present "tiXne, showing 

 that the membership of this society, 

 though small, has been steadfast and 

 loyal during these years that have 

 passed. It is with more than usual 

 gratification, therefore, that I welcome 



those of you who are able to be pres- 

 ent at this meeting, and to those who 

 are absent I can send good reports, 

 for we are here to take an accounting 

 of results, the visible evidence of which 

 is here shown by the exhibit of blooms 

 of authentic varieties shown here in 

 the exhibition hall and the specimen 

 plants in the permanent planting of 

 identified varieties from which these 

 blooms were taken. 



The Society's Bulletins. 



These living witnesses, however, of 

 the results accomplished can only ap- 

 peal to the few who are able to visit 

 Cornell. Of much greater importance 

 as evidence of results accomplished by 

 this society, forming an imperishable 

 and far-jeaching record of its work, 

 are the bulletins that have been 

 issued from time to time, with their 

 descriptions, in minute detail, of the 

 hundreds of varieties' covering almost a 

 complete list of the varieties of peo- 

 nies to be found in commerce today. 



The ready and general acceptance of 

 the descriptions in these bulletins as a 

 standard, and the comparatively few 

 errors that have been pointed out by 

 those who have had an opportunity to 

 examine them critically since they 

 have been issued, are the best proofs 

 of the care that has been exercised in 

 compiling them. 



The Work at Cornell. 



I need not at this time go into the 

 details of the classification of the vari- 

 ous types of blooms, the application of 

 the color chart, and other methods of 

 describing varieties that have been 

 adopted, for you are familiar with 

 these. Neither is it necessary for me 

 to repeat at length a history of the 

 various steps which have marked the 

 progress of this work here at Cornell. 

 The members of the society and those 

 who have been interested in its work 

 know that it has been carried on jointly 

 by the American Peony Society and the 

 Horticultural Department of Cornell 

 University, the society supplying the 

 thousands of plants used and assisting 



in the work of identification, while the 

 care of the plants, the field work, the 

 gathering together of all the literature 

 referring to peonies, the indexing, 

 classification and the publication of the 

 bulletins have all been assumed by the 

 university. 



The members of the American Peony 

 Society fully appreciate the fact that 

 without the invaluable cooperation of 

 Cornell and the members of its staff, 

 Professors Craig, Coit and Batcheler, 

 who have worked so ably and diligently 

 in our cause, a successful outcome 

 would have been impossible, and in our 

 gratification at our-^apcess we will not 

 fail to give them thj. full measurq of 

 credit that is their dua 



An Official Peony List. 



As the large planting of peonies orig- 

 inally contributed toward carrying on 

 these tests has served its purpose, the 

 time has now arrived when definite 

 steps must be taken to bring the first 

 series of experiments to a close, and J? 

 dispose of the surplus plants in ac^ 

 cordance with the original agreement, 

 and the society must map out its fu- 

 ture course and decide its plan of action 

 as regards the work next in hand. It 

 is for this purpose we have met here 

 today. 



In my- opinion, our next and most 

 important work should be the gather- 

 ing together of all the material con- 

 tained in the several preliminary bul- 

 letins which have been published, with 

 such revisions and corrections as are 

 necessary to form a complete book of 

 the peony, which shall be the official 

 peony catalogue or manual of the so- 

 ciety. This woik should be so care- 

 fully compiled »8 to become the stand- 

 ard book of reference on the peony, a 

 book which would doubtless be in de- 

 mand to such an extent that its sale 

 would eventually cover the cost of its 

 publication. 



To Pay Cost of Publication. 



The publication of this book and its 

 control should be assumed by the so- 

 ciety, and, as a step toward covering 



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