March, 1920 
file with the secretary a list of such 
varieties as he is willing to contribute 
for the establishment of public Trial 
and Show Gardens in various sections 
of the country. Arrangements can un- 
doubtedly be made to cooperate in 
plantings at New York, Ithaca, Wash- 
ington, Nashville, St. Louis, Minne- 
apolis, and San Francisco or within the 
vicinity of these cities but only with 
the assistance of all will the Society be 
able to secure the necessary stock. We 
plan, in order to avoid duplication, to 
make specific requests for certain varie- 
ties and as far as practical, to ask for 
contributions only to plantings within 
your district. 
The matter of classification will not 
be considered until the receipt of the 
report promised by The Royal Horticul- 
tural Society. It is hoped that if Time 
of Bloom is not made an important 
sub-division that we may accept it 
without change. 
A description form for use in per- 
mitting an accurate comparison of 
varieties has been accepted by A. J. 
Bliss, Grace Sturtevant, B. Y. Morrison, 
John C. Wister, R. S. Sturtevant, and 
A. C. Hall and is under consideration 
by others. This will be available to in- 
terested members and their filed de- 
scriptions will be made the basis for the 
final authorized descriptions of varie- 
ties, will be checked at the trial grounds 
and may serve as the basis for regis- 
tration of new varieties. 
In accordance with Clause 4, Article 
4 of the constitution, rules for judging, 
standard schedule, and premium list 
are under consideration. It is hoped 
that we shall be in a position to co- 
operate with many local Iris shows this 
coming spring. 
Mr. Wister has already compiled a 
check list of over 1000 varieties, further 
additions are being constantly made, 
but it is planned to have it ready for 
March 1st. 
Growers in various sections have 
been requested to report on the cultural 
requirements of Iris in their experience 
and this will form the text of an early 
publication. We expect to receive 
shortly also the views of many breeders 
on the possibilities of registration of 
new varieties. 
The dues of an active member are 
$3.00 a year and anyone who is already 
a subscriber to The Flower Grower 
may have this additional subscription 
sent to a friend. A member is entitled: 
(1) To share in the transaction of busi- 
ness; (2) To receive notice of and at- 
tend all meetings; (3) To exhibit at any 
show held under the auspices of the 
society; (4) To make use of its library, 
and (5) To receive all publications of 
the society. 
Through the kindness of certain in- 
dividual members there are some books 
and articles available for loaning, and 
it is hoped that we may collect photo- 
graphs, lantern slides, and lectures for 
similar use another season. 
I trust that I may have the pleasure 
of getting in touch with many of you 
through personal correspondence and 
that with your assistance I may pass 
on the views of many upon the subjects 
that are of special interest to you. 
Slower (thrower 
To Members of the American Iris 
Society: 
Your personal interest in Irises and 
in the Society may be shown in many 
ways. Give your friends an oppor- 
tunity to share the pleasure and benefit 
of being members, put the secretary of 
your garden club or horticultural 
society in touch with us, give prefer- 
ence to our members in your garden 
purchases. Share with us your ex- 
periences with Iris: from your surplus 
offer us stock of named varieties, tell 
us where you purchased them and 
when, so that show and trial plantings 
may be established in many cities, the 
varieties drawn from the most authen- 
tic sources. Before the April issue 
reaches you there will be printed forms 
for description, assist us by filling them 
in when your flowers bloom, add them 
to your garden records. By corre- 
spondence we may assist you in many 
ways, put you in touch with near-by 
enthusiasts, tell you where you may see 
good collections, recommend where 
unusual varieties may be obtained but 
all these chances to help really depend 
upon the expression of sincere interest 
by each and every one of you all. 
You will like The Flower Grower, 
you will enjoy its Iris Notes and though 
there are many among its subscribers 
not Iris enthusiasts, you will find the 
amateurs sincere flower lovers, the ad- 
vertisers reliable and with a real in- 
terest in their customers. 
R. S. Sturtevant, Sec’y- 
I'liiiiiiiiimimimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiHiiiiiiiiMiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiii 
j Northwestern Peony 
and Iris Society. j 
I W. F. CHRISTMAN, Secretary. j 
History and Development 
of the Modern Peony.* 
By Charles J. Traxler, 
Ex-President Northwestern Peony & Iris Society. 
“ The dependable record history of 
the modern Peony in Europe com- 
mences in the early part of the eight- 
eenth century and in America some- 
what later, about 1880. No attempt 
will be made here to give the methods 
employed by the various introducers, 
either as to hybridization or culture. 
That subject alone is sufficient for an- 
other interesting lecture. 
“ The method here to be pursued is 
to show upon the screen representa- 
tive blossoms of the best introductions 
from the date of the earliest depend- 
able record down to the present time. 
“ It is not claimed that these photo- 
graphs are equal in quality to the 
natural living flower. Peonies, I believe, 
have more individuality than any other 
flower. Much of this individuality, of 
course, is lost in the photographs, as is 
also the delightful charm imparted by 
a pleasant fragrance. The pictures I 
shall show you are from carefully 
selected negatives and the slides have 
been skillfully colored to represent the 
natural color of the flowers as nearly 
as art can imitate nature.” 
* Synopsis of Lantern Slide Lecture delivered at the 
winter meeting of the Society, 1920. 
39 
At the conclusion of the opening re- 
marks came the illustrative part of the 
lecture, impossible to accurately de- 
scribe. It was full of brief historical 
sketches of originators and introducers 
of Peonies from early in 1800 to the 
present time, covering a period of 
about 100 years. One or more of the 
best of each introducer’s productions 
were projected upon the screen, show- 
ing the flower in its natural size and 
color. 
For greater convenience of illustra- 
tion and comparison Mr. Traxler has 
divided his pictures into three groups. 
The first group representing those in- 
troduced prior to 1880, the second those 
introduced between 1880 and 1900, the 
third group those introduced since 
1900. 
The general characteristics of the 
first group, Mr. Traxler said, were 
early blooming, comparatively small 
size of the blossom, and a tendency to 
a loose or semidouble formation, with a 
marking or splashing of the petals. 
The general characteristics of the 
second group, Mr. Traxler said, are 
greater size, greater compactness, and 
a greater tendency to solid colors in 
the individual flower. 
The third group, he said, was char- 
acterized by still greater size, longer 
and more delicately shaped petals, in a 
greater diversity of formation, clearer 
coloring and more artistic shadings or 
blendings of color. 
The illustrations were excellent and 
were received with enthusiasm. They 
included practically all of the best pro- 
ductions that have been introduced 
since 1900 and many of the best pro- 
ductions that had been introduced 
prior to that time. 
In conclusion, Mr. Traxler said : 
“Now, ladies and gentlemen, in what 
has been shown, you have seen, in art’s 
best effort to reproduce nature, some 
of the greatest floral beauties the world 
has yet produced. Surely the cultiva- 
tion of such flowers, of such surpassing 
beauty, means something more than a 
pleasurable pastime. 
“ They are a delight to all, to some 
of us they are an inspiration. To such 
they represent an appeal, nature to 
man, for help in a better and more per- 
fect expression of the beautiful. To 
such they represent an appeal of na- 
ture and nature’s God to all mankind 
to look from the sad, the sordid, and 
the sorrowful in life, to the bright, the 
beautiful and to the blissful. 
“ To some of us they represent purity 
and perfection. To such they repre- 
sent the immeasurable joy awaiting in 
that strange and undiscovered country, 
from whose bourn no traveler returns. 
To such they represent a benediction, 
to them they are the approving smiles 
of God.” 
Attention is called to the special ap- 
peal we are making just now for new 
subscribers, and to the special offer we 
are making our present subscribers in 
connection with clubs of three or more 
new subscriptions sent in at one time. 
This appeal is going out as a circular 
letter separate from The Flower 
Grower. 
