September, 191 (i 
T H E (; A R D E X M A G A Z I X E 
53 
quality of the whites and lijjlit pinks. I hose 
glowing colors “between a blush and flame” 
that are the glory of the race of Tree Peonies, 
are, alas, still wanting in the herbaceous group. 
Most of the pinks we now have are a little 
heavy, just as the majority of dark reds are a 
bit too much toward the magenta; yet not all. 
Those who aim at a collection of any size 
will naturally w’ant some representatives in 
the deeper shades of color; and my next selec- 
tion will meet their needs. 
PEONIES SELECTED TO COLOR 
The group which follows is made on a rather 
more liberal principle of inclusion than any of 
the foregoing lists, and is meant to serve as 
Some single Peonies, like great Wild Roses with hearts of 
gold, should certainly be included in your collection 
a guide to those who are making a more repre- 
sentative collection, and who do not therefore 
confine themselves to varieties of the highest 
quality only. 
The varieties below are classified by color 
and season, and include, as will be seen, a good 
many of those already mentioned; but in addi- 
tion also the best of the full pinks and dark reds. 
White. 
Early: Alba sulfurea, Candidissima 
Midseason: Festiva maxima, M. Dupont, 
Duchesse de Nemours, IGroness Schroe- 
der, Avalanche, La Rosiere, Le Cygne 
Late: Marie Lemoine 
Pale Pink. 
Early: Therese, Delicatissima 
•Vlidseason: Mme. Emile Galle, Venus, 
Mme. Auguste Dessert, Kelway’s Queen, 
L’Indispensable, Triomphe de I’Exposi- 
tion de Lille 
Late: Grandiflora, Milton Hill, Maud L. 
Richardson, Mme. de Galhau, Mme. Bou- 
langer 
Pink and Yellow. 
Early: Carnea elegans. Golden Harvest 
Midseason: Jeanne d’.^rc, Philomele, Mme. 
de Vatry, Ciloire de Charles Gombault 
There are Peonies to fit all varying needs and desires, as well as f>ocketbooks of varying depths. So don’t hesitate to plant 
a quantity this year, for no other flower in the garden is more beautiful 
Full Pink. 
Early: M. Jules Elie 
Midseason: Livingston, Kelway’s Queen 
Late: Albert Crousse, Claire Dubois 
Deep Purple Red. 
Midseason: Felix Crousse, Tecumseh 
Darkest Mahogany Red, without Purple. 
Early: Edouard Andre 
Midseason: M. Martin Cahuzac, Adolpbe 
Rousseau, Volcan 
The excitement with which the true Peony 
enthusiast watches from year to year the 
adv'ent and behavior of new introductions 
feeds to no small extent the fires of his love; 
but for the more casual amateur the soundest 
policy is to limit the attention to the seasoned 
and assured favorites; when he has gathered 
together a collection of say 50 of the best of 
the older sorts it will be time enough to join the 
gamblers who are betting on the newcomers. 
For the benefit of those who are curious to 
try some of the newer ones that have not yet 
definitely taken their places a few names are 
here given of sorts now much under discussion 
in the Peony world, several of which will no 
doubt be among the extra select when they 
have made themselves better known. 
Kelway’s Glorious 
Soulange 
Sarah Bernhardt 
Primevere 
La France 
Tourangelle 
Mme. Jules Dessert 
Mignon 
Lamartine 
Alsace Lorraine 
Mont Blanc 
And in addition to these there are some 
new sorts that have recently been put 
out by Mr. Brand of Minnesota, which 
have earned high encomiums from con- 
noisseurs in the west; none of them how- 
ever, have become at all generally known 
in the east, and we shall have to wait 
a few years still before any final word 
can be said of them. 
No collection of Peonies is complete 
without including a few of the singles. 
1 hey are not so good as the doubles for 
house decoration, and are short-lived in 
the garden; but when at their best they 
are conspicuousl}' good plants, well worth 
some space in the garden. A large 
number of different named sorts have 
been put out, but they are too much 
alike, and few will give more satisfaction 
than many. In whites there is nothing 
better than the variety Albiflora The 
Bride, a pure white with golden yellow 
stamens. In flesh pinks Clairette is very 
good; and in darkTeds Stanley and The 
Moor are both brilliant and effective gar- 
den plants. 
It would be unjust to the merits of the 
Peony to conclude a discussion of varieties 
without saying something of the many sorts 
that add the charm of fragrance to their 
other good qualities. Among those named 
above are several of the most highly scented 
kinds we have. Fragrance is however lacking 
or, worse than that, replaced by a disagreeable 
odor in most of the dark colored ones and, as 
far as my experience goes in almost all of the 
singles. But for the benefit of those who can 
appreciate good odors, I name the following: 
Candidissima Baroness Schroeder 
Le Cygne Venus 
Grandiflora Milton Hill 
Madame Boulanger Philomele 
Albatre Madame de Vatry 
Duchesse de Nemours 
And here should be named finally a variety 
scarcely good enough to grow for its beauty, 
but found in almost every collection because it 
comes into bloom early and has a quite extra- 
ordinary fragrance. This is Edulis superba, 
beloved of every Peony enthusiast because it 
ushers in for him the season of bloom. 
