50 
Bb^Tlower (tfrowr 
[This department of The Flower Grower is intended to be one of its most helpful and 
valuable features. All questions asked in good faith and which are of general interest will 
have careful attention. The full name and address of the writer must be given, but not 
for publication.] — Editor. 
Dividing Peonies. 
To the Editor 
How often should I divide my Peonies? 
I have been told that they ought to be lifted 
and divided every two or three years, to get 
a maximum of bloom. C. M. 
Answer: You have been misin- 
formed. Only those who raise Peonies 
for sale divide them as often as every 
two years. While some varieties come 
into flower the first Spring after plant- 
ing, many others do not bloom for two 
or three years, and some, like Rich- 
ardson’s Rubra Superba, do not usually 
begin to bloom before the fourth year. 
Mr. Kline, of the Mohican Peony Gar- 
dens, says: “ For permanent planting 
Peonies should be set from three to 
four feet apart each way and left un- 
disturbed indefinitely.” Let me also 
quote from Good & Reese’s catalogue, 
under the caption. Peonies for Exhibi- 
tion : “ The plant should be at least 
five years old, eight years would be 
better.” 
Last summer, at the Cleveland Peony 
show, some enthusiasts who had been 
in the habit of clubbing together and 
buying the higher priced Peonies, then 
growing them a year or so and divid- 
ing them up amongst themselves, asked 
one of the leading exhibitors how he 
got such marvelous blooms from cer- 
tain varieties that they also had, but 
which did not perform so well for 
them. He replied that it was because 
they did not allow their plants to ac- 
quire the age at which they could do 
their best. He advised them to use 
manure liberally each fall, and divide 
less frequently. 
So much has been written about the 
dangers of creating disease in Peonies 
by covering them with manure, that 
many people are deterred from giving 
them the amount of feeding they 
require. Those who grow the finest 
Peonies manure liberally, only exercis- 
ing care that it be spread around the 
plant rather than directly on top of it. 
R. 
Fertilizer for Gladioli. 
To the Editor 
Will you please advise through your col- 
umns what is considered the best fertilizer 
for Gladioli ? G. B. j. 
Answer :—- There is no better ferti- 
lizer for Gladioli, and for most any 
other crop for that matter, than well 
rotted cow manure. Horse manure, or 
sheep manure, or pig manure are also 
valuable if well rotted. Gladioli do 
best and produce the cleanest and 
strongest corms on land which has 
been heavily manured and used for 
some other crop the previous season, 
but if manured in the fall and the ma- 
nure plowed under, results should be 
satisfactory. 
While commercial fertilizers will not 
take the place of stable manure, yet in 
the absence of same and assuming that 
the land is fairly well supplied with 
humus, any good commercial vege- 
table fertilizer may be used at the rate 
of from 500 to 1000 lbs. per acre. Fresh 
hard-wood ashes applied at the rate of 
1000 lbs. to 2000 lbs. per acre are also 
valuable, especially on sandy land. 
Manuring Garden. 
I should be glad of advice as to manure for my 
garden. For more than forty years it has had a good 
supply each season of farmyard manure — horse and 
cow, principally the latter— and every few years well 
limed. Now my gardener thinks that in the coming 
year it would do good to confine the dressing to 
chemical manures for all crops, such as peas, beans, 
cabbages, and fruit trees. What would you advise 
and what kinds should be used? We use for some 
things now fish manure. Would this do for all pur- 
poses? Ayrshire. 
Answer — As the garden has been so regu- 
larly and well manured, and occasionally 
limed, a change in the shape of artificials 
will certainly be of benefit for a season or 
two. Basic slag for heavy and bone-meal 
for a light soil should be dug in at once at 
the rate of 4 ozs. per square yard. In early 
spring, that is, before cropping commences, 
apply 2 ozs. of superphosphate and 1 oz. 
sulphate of potash to the square yard, and 
hoe or lightly fork it in. To encourage free 
growth apply 1 oz. of sulphate of ammonia 
to the square yard after the crops are well 
above ground. This may also be used oc- 
casionally during the growing season, but do 
not apply more than the quantity mentioned 
at one time. Fish guano is excellent for 
asparagus, seakale, and beetroot. — Garden- 
ing Illustrated (English.) 
After many years of careful study 
and experimenting in the growing of 
bulbs, Mr. C. S. Tait, already well 
known to our readers, has decided that 
Brunswick, Ga., has great advantages 
for such work on a large scale. To 
carry out his ideas he has associated 
with him two of his sons. Mr. Tait 
writes that he has three more sons 
coming along as reserves. Even at 
this early stage in their experience 
Tait Bros. Co., which is the new firm 
name, already have the largest bulb 
farm in Georgia. See their announce- 
ment in the April issue. 
May, 1919 
THE PEONY. 
T.IUIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMimiMIIIIII..; 
Getting Acquainted 
with the Peonies. 
{.Written expressly for The Flower Grower . ] 
BY CHESTINE GOWDY. 
Every one who has a hardy garden 
or who expects to start one will want 
to include some Peonies in his year’s 
plans. Now, fall is the time to plant 
Peonies, but June is the time to get ac- 
quainted with them, and to plan for 
future planting. 
It is not enough to have some red, 
white and pink Peonies. We may have 
instead our favorite shades of pink and 
red, yes, and of white. We may have 
a variety of types -single, Japanese, 
crown, bomb, rose and semi-rose ; or, 
to be less technical, we may have 
single, semi-double and double, loose 
and compact, flat and deep blooms. 
We may so choose our plants as to have 
a long season of bloom, and we may 
have flowers with the fragrance of the 
rose. 
If we are in the neighborhood of 
large Peony gardens we should be sure 
to visit them during the blooming sea- 
son. Such a visit will prove a most 
delightful as well as instructive ex- 
perience, for here the new varieties as 
well as the good old kinds may be seen. 
Then a few postal card requests will 
bring the catalogues of Peony growers, 
and with these, interpreted by our June 
observations, we shall be able to choose 
our list intelligently, whether it be 
long or short. 
American Gladiolus Society. 
Prize offers in addition to those pub- 
lished in the March issue. 
Non-Commercial Growers. 
Arthur Cowee, Berlin, N. Y. 
For largest and best display of Primulinus Hybrids. 
Offers 200 extra Primulinus Hybrids valued at $30. 
Garden Magazine, Garden City, N. Y. 
The Garden Magazine Achievement Medal for the 
finest quality of bloom in the non commercial classes. 
Exhibitors showing less than 25 spikes not to be con- 
sidered. 
OPEN TO ALL. 
Vaughan’s Seed Store, Chicago, 111. 
For the best 25 blooms each of Margaret. Cliicagd 
Salmon and Mrs. Brewster, or for 75 blooms of any 
one of these varieties, offers a silver cup to the value 
of $15. 
Homer F. Chase, Wilton, N. H. 
For best 25 spikes Mrs. Watt, $5 
John Zeestraten, Mansfield, Mass. 
For best six spikes Prince of Wales, offers stock to 
be selected from his next season's price list. First 
prize $7.50 ; second prize, $5: third prize, $2.50. 
Richard Diener Co , Kentfield, Calif. 
For best spike Thomas T. Kent. First prize, $6 
second prize $4 ; third prize. $2.50. 
For best spike Anna Ebcrius. First prize, $6; second 
prize $4 ; third prize, $2.50. 
Above offer substituted for one made as published 
in the March issue of The Flower Grower. 
Geo. Churcher, Woodcote, Alverstoke, Eng. 
For best three varieties of blue Gladioli, three spikes 
each. First prize $5 ; second prize, $4 ; third prize, 
$3; fourth prize, $2 ; fifth prize. $1. Baron Joseph 
Hulot and Blue Jay not to be admitted in competition. 
