Cornell University he 
says in the introduction: 
“Tt is probably a con- 
servative statement to say 
that the Peony interests 
of the country would be 
better off if about sev- 
enty-five per cent. of the 
varieties were destroyed 
and future propagation 
made from the remaining 
twenty-five per cent. of 
superior varieties.” As 
there are about two thousand varieties of Peonies, 
say one thousand of them in commerce, to elim-~ 
inate seventy-five per cent of them would leave 
at least two hundred and fifty sorts as desirable. 
We are not pleading, for a long list of Peonies, 
but we contend that the merits of the Peonies that 
should be perpetuated are not found in any one 
hundred varieties. 
SIX POINTS OF EXCELLENCE 
In judging a Peony for exhibition the six points 
of excellence as suggested by the Directors of the 
American Peony Society are as follows: 
Color Ona LOG ho ico kaa eee ae oo 
Sizes uns 6 20 oH 
Stem Gncluding length, strength and foliage) 20 = 
orm sss ioe fo by Bs) Oe ono 15 
Substance Bia a6 oct VOR Eee is 15 2 
Fragrance Saige! hom ON iO) SRO!) SOP ath dali 10 > 
100 
Miss Ella V. Baines, Springfield, Ohio. 
Top: E. G. Hill (left) and 
J. M. Good judging a flower 
of Primevere. 
Center: A comer of our 
Peony fields; literally thou- 
sands of bloom. 
Bottom: “Awakening, to 
the glories of June.” 
Mr. Auten of Missouri makes a good suggestion 
when he says, “There is one character on which | 
think there should be a rating, outside of merely 
technical points. In declamation contests a rating 
is given on ‘General Effect’; in flowers I would 
give a rating, on ‘Charm’. For example, I do not 
know how, on technical points, Festiva could 
be counted any more than equal to Festiva 
Maxima if even equal to it; however, it makes an 
appeal to me that Festiva Maxima does not. The 
latter has size, form, color and carriage, all unsur- 
passable; but to me it is cold and forbidding; it 
commands admiration, yes, but when IJ see a fine 
opening bud of Festival want it. This has a charm 
for me, makes an appeal to me that Festiva Maxima 
does not.” May we add that there is certainly a 
charm about some varieties of Peonies? In addition 
to Festiva, such varieties as Marie Stuart, Alsace~ 
Lorraine, Monsieur Dupont and others possess an 
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