32 



ELLA V. BAINES, THE WOMAN FLORIST, SPRINGFIELD, OHIO 



"PEONIES FOR PLEASURE "-Concluded 



79— EDULIS SUPERBA— (Lemon, 1824.) Crown type; very 

 early. This might well be called the Decoration Day 

 Peony, for it has never failed to be in full bloom for May 

 30th. Our field of thirty thousand plants is a sight never 

 to be forgotten when seen on that date. A most beautiful 

 bright clear mauve-pink with silvery reflex that under 

 good culture measure from seven to eight inches across. 

 One of tne most valuable Peonies. June rose fragrance. 

 SO cents each. 

 30— FESTIVA MAXIMA— (Miellez, 1851.) Rose type; early. 

 This is not only the finest white in existence, but many 

 regard it as the queen of all the Peonies. Mr. Harrison 

 says: "This flower has reached the ultimate beyond which 

 we cannot go. Here at the door stands Festiva Maxima, 

 white as the soul of the Madonna, with now and then a 

 blood drop, as though the iron had sometimes entered 

 her heart. What a marvelous flower!" It combines enor- 

 mous size with wondrous beauty; often seven to eight 

 inches in diameter. Clear carmine spots on the edge of 

 center petals. For over sixty years it has held first rank, 

 and is still the standard of perfection by which all other 

 Peonies are judged. The most popular white Peony for 

 cut flowers. June rose fragrance. 75 cents each. 

 38 — FRAGRANS — (Sir Joseph Banks, 1805.) Bomb type; very 

 late. Compact, full flowers; color solferino-red with slight 

 silvery" reflex; strong, vigorous grower, making shapely 

 plants; free bloomer in clusters; an old favorite and ex- 

 tensively grown for cut flowers. 75 cents each. 

 67 — GOLDEN HARVEST— (Rosenfield, 1900.) Bomb type; 

 midseason. A most striking variety producing large, tri- 

 colored bloom. The guard petals are blush-pink with 



creamy-white center; center of flower overlaid and tipped 

 with carmine. It combines cream, gold, white, pink, 



salmon, peach and apricot, the total color effect of the 

 flower being creamy-pink: strong, delicate fragrance. Mr. 

 Harrison says: "It breaks out into a wild, rollicking pro- 

 digality of beauty with its large flowers as to almost 

 smother the plant so great is their profusion. We all take 

 off our hats as they pass by and cheer for beauty." The 

 variety Jeanne d'Arc is identical with Golden Harvest. 

 50 cents each. 

 28— LADY LEONORA BRAMWELL— (Syn. Docteur Bre- 

 tonneau.) (Verdier, 1854.) Bomb type; early midseason. 

 This Doctor has been masquerading for a number of years 

 under the name of Lady Leonora Bramwell. As Guerin 

 sent out a Docteur Bretonneau, and as this variety is 

 already better known under this name, we will retain same. 

 Tliis is a charming, large, full and exceedingly fragrant 

 flower of perfect symmetrical form. The color is delicate 

 silvery-rose with lively pink center; petais tipped creamy- 

 white with an occasional crimson fleck. In many localities 

 grown for cut flowers. Has the true June rose fragrance. 

 It is a fact that Lady Leonora Bramwell will remain in 

 better shape longer when cut and placed in cold storage 

 than any other Peony. It will keep in this manner for 

 two months. 75 cents each. 

 103 — LA TULIPE— (Calot, 1872.) Semi-rose type; midseason- 

 Enormous, globular, fragrant flowers, delicate blush-white, 

 shading to ivory-white, with red tulip markings on out- 

 side of guard petals. Again we quote Harrison: "There 

 is no Peony so attractive in bud as this. First a ball 

 interlaced with green, red and white. As it grows these 

 interfacings oecome pronounced. There is no bloom 

 whose unfoldings you watch with greater interest. It 

 finally opens a solid ball of softest blush with streaks of 

 carmine. There it sits in all its beauty, a glorious flower 

 in a chalice of veined marble, emitting a delightful per- 

 fume." Our rows of tnis gave the appearance of a huge 

 bank of snow for fully two weeks. 75 cents each. 

 275 — L'INDISPENSABLE — (Origin unknown.) Rose type; late 

 midseason. A variety of unknown French origin and sent 

 out from Holland and is greatly confused with Eugene 

 Verdier. Indeed most of the Eugene Verdier sold is this 

 variety. It is a huge ball of delicate baby-pink. Has by 

 far the most petals of any Peony in our collection. On 

 the Pacific slope this is said to stand at the head of the 

 list of all varieties. With us it at times seems to water- 

 log, and a few outside petals burn. $1.50 each. 

 135 — LINNE — (Verdier, 1860.) Rose type; midseason. Large, 

 globular, compact bloom. Color tyrian-rose; guards 

 slightly flecked with crimson; quite floriferous. A good 

 variety. 75 cents each. 

 168— LIVINGSTONE— (Crousse, 1879.) Rose type; late. Very 

 full imbricated bloom; both buds and flowers are large and 

 beautiful. Color pale lilac-rose with sheen of silver; very 

 free sure bloomer in clusters; upright, erect grower; fine 

 cut flower variety. One of the prize winners. $1.50 each. 

 19_ MADAME CALOT— (Miellez, 1856.) Rose type; early. 

 Large, convex bloom. Hydrangea-pink, center shaded 

 slightly darker with a somewhat sulphur-tint in the collar. 

 This Peony has three distinctive qualities over all other 

 varieties. First, it blooms any and every year, never 

 failing; second, it produces more flowers than any Peony 

 ever introduced; third, it is the most fragrant of all Peonies, 

 the perfume being delicious. In the above three points 

 Madame Calot stands pre-eminent. Then again it is the 



earliest light colored Peony, blooming with US at Decora- 

 tion Day rignt along with Edulis Superba. Probably the 

 most useful all-round Peony we grow. Simply a wonder. 

 $1.00 each. 

 7— MADAME EMILE GALLE— (Crousse, 1881.) Rose type; 

 late midseason. Large, double, cup-shaped, imbricated 

 flowers; color delicate sea-shell-pink with touches of heli- 

 otrope and lavender. This is probably the most ethe- 

 really beautiful of all Peonies; inexpressibly grand. Not a 

 new Peony, but scarce and rare. Quite a number of vis- 

 itors to our field fairly rave over the great beauty of this 

 flower. $1.00 each. 

 276— MARGUERITE GERARD— (Crousse, 1892.) Semi-rose 

 type; midseason. Enormous, flat-shaped flower with broad 

 petals blooming in clusters; color delicate Hydrangea-pink, 

 changing as the flower ages to creamy-white. _ Many of 

 the central petals and even the guards have minute dark 

 carmine, almost black, flecks on the tips; fragrant. What 

 can we say of this imposing wonderful flower? Visitors 

 to our fields pause in astonishment before our rows of this 

 variety. It looks at you from any position or angle at 

 which you may stand, and seems to say, "Did you ever 

 see a flower so sensational or beauty so radiant? Verily, 

 Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." 

 $1.00 each. ^ 



35— MEISSONIER— (Crousse, 1886.) (Syn. American Beauty.) 

 Bomb type; midseason. Very brilliant crimson; full 

 double flowers on stiff, wiry stems; the stems may some- 

 times have short crooks in them, but they are never weak. 

 The coloring is wonderfully rich and brilliant. In the 

 Chicago cut flower markets this Peony is known as the 

 American Beauty Peony on account of the resemblance in 

 ■color to the Rose of that name. A grand cut flower. 

 $1.50 each. 

 48— MONSIEUR JULES ELI E— (Crousse, 1888.) Bomb 

 type; early midseason. This is the king of all Peonies, 

 and is without question M. Crousse 's masterpiece. Im- 

 mense globular, very full flowers. Color an ideal glossy 

 lilac-pink, shading to deeper rose at the base, the entire 

 flower overlaid with a sheen of silver that fairly shimmers 

 in the sunlight. Monsieur Jules Elie is claimed by many 

 to be the largest of all Peony flowers. On young, vigorous 

 plants we have had flowers eight and nine inches through. 

 In fact they are so large and handsome that but few can 

 realize they are Peony blooms on first seeing them. An 

 unapproachable variety from any standpoint. When cut 

 in the bud, a good keeper, thus fine for cut flowers. Our 

 planting comprises some twenty thousand plants of this 

 grand Peony. Easily scores the six points of excellence. 

 "Visitors at the Boston show last year will remember that 

 a mammoth or rather mastodonic bloom of the same variety 

 drew the first place there, too, and in this year's show at 

 Boston, both first and second premiums fell to the same 

 sort." $1.50 each. 

 36— PRESIDENT TAFT— (Blaauw, 1909.) Rose type; mid- 

 season. Originated on a private estate in France, bought 

 and taken to Holland and given the Dutch name "Frank- 

 kryh," which, being interpreted, is "La France", but before 

 being disseminated or any of it sold, the name was changed 

 to President Taft as a compliment to their American cus- 

 tomers, and also for the further reason, no doubt, of aiding 

 in the sale of the variety. Mr. Ward Welsh, in charge of 

 our Peony fields, says: "President Taft combines so many 

 of the good qualities necessary to a first class Peony, and 

 combines these qualities in such a superlative degree that 

 I have no hesitancy in saying this variety stands at the 

 head of all Peonies. A vigorous, strong grower, a profuse 

 bloomer, every shoot being crowned by a big bloom. The 

 flower is really of enormous size; there may be Peony 

 flowers as large, but none larger. The color is a delicate 

 Hydrangea-pink, completely enveloped in a halo of angelic 

 white. The fragrance is delicious." It is certainly a 

 glorious, gorgeous flower, very large and double. The only 

 Peony we know that has stripes on the face of the flower. 

 La Tulipe has stripes on the reverse of the petals. Pres- 

 ident Taft is a marvelous' flower, both distinct and beau- 

 tiful. No other just ike it. In some quarters in Holland 

 it is claimed that Rene Hortense is the same Peony. All 

 we have to say is that if that is true then a lot of Peony 

 "ginks" have been overlooking a big, juicy bet for years 

 past, and the Peony world should take off their hats and 

 cheer for Blaauw for the discovers-. $2.50 each. 

 78 — RUBRA SUPERBA— (Richardson, 1871.) Rose type; very 

 late. Magnificent, rich, brilliant, deep crimson, without 

 stamens; very large, full and double; highly fragrant, and 

 the best keeper of the whole family. It is decidedly the 

 best late black; absolutely indispensable to any fine 

 collection. $1.00 each. 

 40— QUEEN VICTORIA— (Eug. Hort, 1S30.) Bomb type; 

 early midseason. The very best every day white. When 

 cut a first rate keeper. Flower of good substance and color; 

 very pretty in the bud state, when it has a faint blush 

 tint; an old standby. 50 cents each. 

 524— VENUS — (Kelway, 1888.) Crown type; mid-season. A 

 delicate shell-pink; tall, free bloomer, considered by many 

 to be one of the very best Peonies ever introduced. Extra 

 for cut flowers. Has the true June Rose fragrance. $2.00 

 each. 



