THE BOOK OF THE PEONY 



To those who love the peony, Mrs. 

 Edward Harding's recently published 

 book comes as a revelation. Those 

 of us who have grown the peony for 

 years must realize after reading this 

 book, how little, how meager indeed 

 has been our knowledge of the peony. 



From the charming Japanese Hakku, 

 which heads the first chapter 



"Full of set flowers, 

 Full is my chamber; 

 Thou art most stately 

 White peony." 



down to the mention of the recently formed peony society in the 

 Northwest, the author delves into the fascinating lore and history 

 of this flower. The peony is one of the three royal flowers of Japan. 

 This volume is royal in its illustrations and typography. All the chap- 

 ters are interesting, many of them of peculiar worth to the amateur. 



Chapter Five on "Purchasing" gives facts and experiences in refer- 

 ence to buying that will be most welcome to peony lovers, whether 

 they have just started or are well along the road towards forming a 

 collection. 



It was a coincidence that the author and I should meet a day after 

 I had read "The Book Of The Peony." I asked Mrs. Harding if she 

 worked very hard in her garden. "Work hard," she exclaimed, "indeed 

 I do, the actual work is, to me, one half the joy of gardening!" 



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