2 
in size or height but the clear plicatas 
are nice. Leverrier has more size and 
I think its bronzed red-violet blooms 
will develop effectiveness ; Madame 
Claude Monel is fine, almost the deep 
purple self of the early Kochii but large 
and of good height and Mile. Schwarlze 
and Arsace though more usual in color 
like pink-toned Caterinas are lovely 
too. These last three at least show 
Ricardi blood to advantage. Ricardi 
itself is apparently a form of mesopo- 
tamica and very close to cypriana and 
trojana in character; its variety Fonce 
has a delightfully crumpled texture 
and I should much like to see others of 
M. Denis’ Ricardi seedlings, as the few 
1 know are of the best. 
Millet et Fils seem to consider habit, 
ease of growth and number of flowers, 
rather than height or size, and conse- 
quently, I expect the plants to show to 
better advantage in a mass. Col. Can- 
delot has a brick red tone and we can 
only regret that its richness is not 
combined with good size; Armenien 
and Arlcquin are similar in coloring to 
Leverrier while Delicalissima in pale 
pink-lavender and Corrida in blue are 
typically pallida though the latter with 
its upright standards and flaring falls 
has a marked crispness that should 
be wonderful in mass. Souvenir de la 
Grange is a mauve bi-color, Savignon, 
velvety, and Mady Carriere interested 
me greatly as it is clearly of the same 
parentage as Afterglow (Sturtevant) 
though soft blue, not yellow through 
the center — if your taste is educated 
to this delicate blend they will prove 
worthwhile. I have left to the last 
Souvenir de Mme. de Gaudichau as it is 
among the finest of the Bearded Irises. 
Unfortunately I have two forms under 
this name, both royal purple and of 
good size but one has a rich velvety 
fall that greatly enhances its value, 
this latter is probably true and only 
Archeveque in red-purple can equal the 
depth of its blue-purple. 
The work, probably of S. Mottet, for 
Vilmorin, Andrieux et Cie remains to 
be considered. Their introductions are, 
many of them, well-known in this 
country and rated among the finest, 
though Eldorado, Tamerlane, Cherubim, 
and Parc de Neuilly, a plum purple self, 
are not so good in some respects. Of 
their newer things I have few. Further 
comparison is needed to judge between 
Opera, Ambigu, Dejazet, and Leverrier 
(Denis), though this year, the first was 
my choice, not tall but rich in color. 
Mme. Guerville in lavender, Mercedes in 
rose with a tinge of cream, and Pan- 
croft a creamy white just powdered 
with lilac, are not unlike the plicatas 
from M. Denis, hut Mme. Choban or 
Chobaut, is the most lovely of all in its 
clean contrast of palest apricot with 
red bronze venation. I am hoping that 
quarantine 37 will allow me to import 
Magnifica and Ambassadeur, as Mr. J. 
C. Wister reports their worth, the 
former he describes as very large, 
lighter and with less of the blue than 
Alcazar and the latter as like a rich 
purple Dr. Bernice of great size and 
heavy substance. 
Of all these as judged from one stalk 
of bloom, but few are firm in my mem- 
£3l)e Slower (Brower 
ory. Gaudichau (as I shall abbreviate 
it), Madame Claude Monet, Mile. 
Schwarlze, Arsace, Opera and Leverrier, 
Corrida, Delicalissima, Mme. de Sa- 
vigne, and Mady Carriere, I well remem- 
ber, but they are still on the waiting 
list. Shall they or shall they not join 
with my favorites among the older va- 
rieties, pallida Dalmatica, Iris King, 
Monsignor, and Alcazar? I wonder 
whether the reports of the forthcom- 
ing Iris Society will second these recom- 
mendations ? 
I Northwestern Peony 
f and Iris Society, j 
The mid-winter meeting of the 
Northwestern Peony & Iris Society was 
held at the Ryan Hotel, St. Paul, Minn., 
on the evening of December 3rd. Re- 
gardless of the fact that the weather 
was rather severe, there was a good 
attendance, and a very interesting and 
instructive meeting was held. With 
but few exceptions, the program was 
carried out in its entirety. 
The following officers were elected 
for the coming year: 
President, John E. Stryker, St. Paul, 
Minn.; 1st V. P., D. W. C. Ruff, Bald 
Eagle, Minn.; 2nd V. P., H. J. Barthol- 
mey, Chicago, 111.; Secretary, W. F. 
Christman, Minneapolis, Minn.; Ass’t 
Secretary, T. A. Kenning, Minneapolis, 
Minn. 
The present board of Directors were 
re-elected and in addition Prof. Le Roy 
Cady of the University Farm School 
was elected to take the place of D. W. 
C. Ruff who was made Vice President. 
A motion was made and carried that 
the Board of Directors be authorized 
to take whatever steps they deemed 
necessary toward the publishing of a 
bulletin to be furnished to members 
at a small cost to cover mailing and 
printing. Details will be worked out 
and a report made later on this matter. 
The deep interest manifested at the 
meeting proved clearly that the knowl- 
edge of the Peony and Iris is becoming 
more widely known and the desirability 
of the flowers more universally estab- 
lished. 
I doubt if there is a state in the Union 
that enjoys as long a period of Peony 
bloom as does Minnesota. In the cen- 
tral part of the State and the southern 
section, late May bloom is to be found. 
This period stretches through the en- 
tire month of June and into the early 
part of July. In the Northeast section 
of the State in the vicinity of Duluth, 
the Peony shows are held about July 
10th, when they are at their best. This 
period of bloom is extended well into 
the month of July, thus giving a wide 
latitude in the blooming period within 
the confines of the State. 
A rising vote of thanks was given 
to our Vice President, Mr. Bartholmey 
for the very excellent showing he has 
made in securing members and for the 
untiring work he has done in making 
our Society a success and exemplify- 
ing the principles that we desire to 
promulgate. 
January, 1920 
Ten new members expressed a will- 
ingness to join our ranks and were re- 
ceived into the fold of Peony and Iris 
enthusiasts at our meeting, thus bring- 
ing our membership close to the 250 
mark, a goal I set at the annual meet- 
ing held last year, and the credit for 
this is chiefly due to Mr. Bartholmey’s 
efforts. 
The matter of having an individual 
show for the Iris a week or ten days 
in advance of the Peony show was dis- 
cussed and definite action will be taken 
upon the question later. It was also 
suggested that a more appropriate 
time be set for the holding of our 
Peony show. Dates of recent years 
being deemed several days too late for 
the best results to be obtained. 
The National Iris Society is well un- 
der way. I have a very interesting 
article that will be presented to you in 
the near future on the aims and pur- 
poses of such a society. 
I recommend heartily each member 
reading The Flower Grower. The 
December number alone is worth the 
price of a year’s subscription. It cov- 
ers a broad field, the Peony, Iris, Dah- 
lia, Rose, Gladiolus, and many other 
flowers are given especial attention 
and excellent articles presented each 
month. Write the Publisher, Madison 
Cooper, Calcium, N. Y., for a copy and 
be convinced. 
W. F. Christman, Secretary. 
Woman’s National Farm 
and Garden Association. 
To the Editor:— 
I read with much interest the lead- 
ing article in The Flower Grower 
for November and was also glad to see 
on page 116 of the same issue a notice 
of the Woman’s National Farm and 
Garden Association. I write now to 
say to Miss Graham, the writer of 
“ Proposed Flower Grower’s Associa- 
tions,” that through the Woman’s Na- 
tional Farm and Garden Association 
and its Branches this very work of 
which she writes in so agreeable a 
manner is being done ; women are 
growing flowers successfully and mar- 
keting them through channels fur- 
nished by the Association and its 
Bulletin. All that is needed then is a 
more general knowledge of the already 
existing Association, whose member- 
ship is within reach of all, only one 
dollar a year. The office at 414 Madi- 
son Avenue, N. Y., will furnish further 
information, but I would suggest that 
Branches of the Association be formed 
in all places where women are desirous 
of growing flowers in a small com- 
mercial way. Ten or more members 
of the National Association constitute 
a Branch. 
Louisa Y. King. 
(Mrs. Francis King, President.) 
If you have not already sent in your 
name as a charter member of the 
American Iris Society to be organized 
this month, you should not fail to do 
so at once. 
