May, 1919 
Slower (Brower 
45 
Showing a planting of the Brand Peonies at Faribault, Minn. 
released by its present environment ? 
Snatches of it crowded my mind : “The 
world is full of music, if we will only 
hear,” and “We need not list in vain, 
The wondrous harp of nature is set to 
ev’ry strain.” 
Yes, the world is full of music and 
of beauty, we need not look in vain, for 
it is everywhere about us, and greatest 
of all, we have been given the privilege 
of helping to increase and spread this 
beauty about us. We are partners 
with nature in this work, and while we 
have been spending time in various 
early spring occupations, flowers have 
been leaping to the duties for which 
they were created. 
The Peony, which, in the marvelous 
new creations has outrivaled all other 
is very beneficial. And here^the en- 
thusiast has the opportunity to work 
off his surplus energy of early spring 
by removing the covering from im- 
mediately about the plants and work- 
ing it into the soil. 
The present month is too late for 
resetting Peony roots with good suc- 
cess, but it is the very best time to 
watch for Peony troubles, and, when 
in bloom, to select the new varieties 
that you will wish to plant in the fall. 
Watch your plants closely now, pos- 
sibly some of them are not budding 
and will not bloom, if so you may be 
sure there is a reason and now is the 
time to find it out, for there area num- 
ber of things that will cause them not 
to bloom. Perhaps the fault is in the 
soil which you may have allowed to 
become impoverished. It should be 
rich and deep. If you are intending to 
do any planting in the fall, select the 
place for the bed and make up a com- 
post now and have it in readiness. It 
will take no more time to get the soil 
ready now than it will to do a hurry 
up job at planting time. 
A good compost is made of three 
parts sandy loam and one part rotted 
manure. Add a dusting of bonemeal, 
also a little limestone to sweeten it— if 
you have reason to think it a trifle sour — 
and a little sand to lighten it. If the ma- 
nure is not well rotted mix the compost 
thoroughly and fork it over a few times 
during the summer. 
Roots that are planted too deep re- 
fuse to bloom. If the soil is a stiff 
loam the crowns should be not more 
than two inches below the surface, 
better, when planting, to cover crowns 
with a mixture of sand and loam in 
equal parts. 
They are sun-loving plants and slow 
to bloom if shade is too dense. See 
that they are planted where they will 
have sun at least a part of the day. 
They are also thirsty plants and re- 
quire an abundance of water but must 
have good drainage. All these atten- 
tions will be repaid with an abun- 
dance of beautiful blooms, but it is 
surprising how well they will bloom 
under adverse conditions. Trans- 
planted fairly well and allowed to 
remain in the same place with no 
care or attention whatever, I have 
known them to bloom freely for 
years. 
If one has a surplus of roots there 
is nothing that for as little care will 
add so much beauty when planted 
in unusual and out-of-the-way places, 
such as on sloping hillsides, clumps 
in the edge of a woodland, near 
water where their colors may be re- 
flected, wide plantings along drives, 
and the Old Red planted where its 
brilliant blooms may be seen through 
tall waving grasses, is indeed a lovely 
sight. 
Nowhere are Peonies so needed 
or appreciated, when once known, 
as in the Little Home Garden, every 
one of which should have its row. 
The old varieties are now priced 
within the reach of all, but don’t 
fail to try some of the wonderful 
new creations. If possible add at 
least one Peony to your garden 
every fall, and begin now to get the 
ground ready for them so you can plant 
quickly before losing that garden en- 
thusiasm that is so apt to slip away 
at that season. Mrs. A. H. Austin. 
As rather expected, the mild winter 
has been followed so far by a cold 
spring, and Gladiolus planting has been 
somewhat backward as has other out- 
door garden and field work but real 
spring may be with us any time now, 
and we may hope for a favorable grow- 
ing season! Most reports indicate that 
vegetation has wintered well and this 
includes winter grains as well as 
meadow grasses. Very little stocks 
considered hardy have been damaged 
by the past winter. 
Minn nil """"" 
MRS. AUSTIN’S TALKS 
= [ Written expressly for The Flower Grower. ] 
Peonies. 
/IS I WALKED ALONG 
/\ on the soft, grassy 
turf dotted with 
golden faces of dan- 
delions, upturned, as if in 
joyous thankfulness of be- 
ing, I caught myself hum- 
ming an old song but un- 
able to recall the name. I 
think I was somewhat 
chagrined at my failure because it 
indicated that youth was of long ago, 
but, perhaps unconsciously, I patted 
my little field book. Truly, wonderful 
happiness and enjoyment were mine, 
for had not the Gladiolus yielded to 
me her most sacred secrets, was I not 
privileged to gaze into the hearts of 
Peonies such as the world of my youth 
had never known, but what was this 
old refrain so constantly in my mind ? 
Was it a childhood memory of song 
and flower brought on the breath of a 
sweet fragrance transmitted through 
generations of blooming plants, and 
flowers of the season and 
reigns Queen of Flowers of 
Spring is even now showing 
the tiny buds. They re- 
quire so little and repay so 
abundantly that I cannot 
help but wonder that so few 
are planted. Perhaps, in 
many cases, it is because 
the best time for planting 
is in the fall and often by 
that timegardenenthusiasm 
ison the wane, but when those first days, 
so fragrant with the breath of spring, 
come and fill our being with the irre- 
sistible desire to free everything in the 
garden of its winter coat, thereby 
trailing disaster and ruin along our 
pathway, those belated plans of the 
preceding fall may be carried into exe- 
cution, the Peony uncovered and trans- 
planted with good success. Peonies 
are so hardy that it is not necessary 
to cover them to protect them from 
freezing, but a light dressing of coarse 
manure applied the first winter after 
planting and when ground is frozen, 
