Ol)e J^lowr (Brower 
July, 1920 
THE PEONY 
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112 
and shrubs, the idea being a series of 
varying pictures, each different, each 
with the charm of the unexpected. 
“Climax Point” commands a view of 
the confluence of the Bull Run and 
Sandy Rivers, a tiny waterfall from the 
adjacent hillside adding its share to 
the beauty. The natural beauty of 
the place was self suggestive of the 
fact that it would be an unequalled set- 
ting for flowers, and Mr. Crissey wisely 
chose the Gladiolus for his specialty 
because the bulbs grow so well, and 
possess a color range found in no 
other flower. 
Adjacent to the farm is a natural 
park owned by the city of Portland, 
with fine bathing and camping facili- 
ties, such as stone cooking ovens, 
mountain water piped to each. Being 
only an hour’s drive from the city, 
people make the trip at week end, and 
Sunday is an extremely busy day at 
Gladiolus Farm. An informal exhibit 
of flowers artistically arranged is held 
each week during the flower season. 
Artistic arrangements in suitable re- 
ceptacles, with harmonious color 
schemes are matters he emphasizes in 
offering flowers and often gives indi- 
vidual exhibits in Portland and other 
places each year. One particularly 
good one had the exhibition room 
draped in black and the flowers seemed 
to stand out like jewels against the 
sombre color. 
He issues a small but interesting 
catalogue, the unusual and high class 
varieties being featured, rather than 
the old stand bys of the florist, and 
trade is drawn from all over the 
country through modest national ad- 
vertising. A collection of Irises has 
recently been added to the farm and 
will be offered through the catalogue 
in a year or two, and so will something 
else that I saw growing in his garden. 
We had been looking at the soil, which 
is a shot loam, naturally drained and 
so friable that there is never mud, and 
came upon plants of such unusual color 
and brilliancy that I prophesy a future 
for it. This is English Rose Kale, a very 
decorative plant, each a bouquet of 
beauty. I was told that the matter-of- 
fact grocer was greatly impressed when 
told it could be eaten. If Mr. H. C. L. 
continues to hold the seat at the head 
of the table, we may decorate it with 
English Rose Kale and eat it for des- 
sert. A revised case of “ Eat your 
cake and have it.” Speed the Rose Kale. 
Like all good Gladiolus growers he 
has the “seedling bug” and has a couple 
of choice pets that will be introduced 
when he has stock enough. 
Mrs. Crissey joins him in regarding 
Gladiolus growing the most fascina- 
ting game in the world. Ten year old 
Jim knows every flower, and Father 
and Mother Crissey are as actively in- 
terested as if their ages totaled a half 
century instead of a century and a 
half. 
By the light of a candle we prepared 
for our night’s rest up under the roof. 
I hoped it would rain that we might 
hear the patter of the drops, but in- 
stead, we were lulled to sleep by the 
muffled roar of the river. 
Mrs. A. H. Austin. 
Mrs. Pleas Replies 
to “ Peony Grower.” 
Inheriting a love of the beautiful in 
Nature I must in self justification admit 
that in growing Peonies not only for 
my own pleasure, but for that of others 
instead of profit, with no desire to cor- 
ner the market, I wish to see other gar- 
dens as beautiful as my own, preferring 
to give my surplus plants away rather 
than destroy them. “Since God so 
loved flowers as to sow them all over 
the earth whether or not they were 
seen by man,” may I not scatter them 
over my little world to gladden the 
hearts and brighten the homes of others 
as they have my own ? 
When C. A. Clark, unable to find 
Peony seeds on the market asks “ where 
to secure them,’ and “ why they are 
not advertised,” I might have replied, 
“There is practically no market, nor 
seeds for sale.” The florists would 
answer you as they did me. “ There is no 
money in it, and I am in it for the prof- 
its.” Instead, I was glad to assist. Hav- 
ing grown the old double kinds most of 
my life, never caring to use their scant 
crop of dwarfed seeds, nor hearing of 
others doing so, having myself planted 
seeds of the single white only with phe- 
nomenal success, and knowing that a 
florist here and there had one or two 
single kinds, with no market for the 
seeds at any price, having personally 
supplied the only market I had been 
able to find in all these years, I con- 
fidently informed him where seeds may 
be had. 
“Peony Grower” says: “No one 
now thinks of using any but the best for 
the mothers of the future seedlings.” 
There being no intimation that they 
were desired for mothers, and since a 
professional would have known, it was 
presumed they were for the embellish- 
ment and pleasure of the home garden 
where they are unrivalled for brilliancy 
and decorative purposes. 
Having always enjoyed conducting 
all visitors through my own garden, 
same as the florists did me, to see, enjoy 
and select kinds I wished, it never oc- 
curred to me to stipulate that you ask to 
gather the seeds, I fancy you would feel 
a little abashed gathering them with- 
out. It were better perhaps to ask the 
price, when nine times out of ten, no 
doubt you would be made welcome to 
“ all you care for.” Had I pollenized 
seeds, and feared their being pilfered, I 
should enclose them in netting and 
label, “For Self.” 
Theoretically I too recommend using 
seeds from best kinds, but with my hav- 
ing produced blooms from my one 
planting of but little over 1000 seeds of 
the single white that rival the best in 
America, if not in the world, I feel jus- 
tified in recommending them to other 
amateurs. 
I maintain that giving flowers away 
does not “ injure the florists’ business.” 
The love of flowers is not only conta- 
gious, it soon becomes an epidemic, the 
fever running higher with each bloom- 
ing season. Unlike feeding the hungry 
whose appetite soon becomes satisfied, 
no matter how appetizing the food, 
whilst the love of the beautiful is but 
stimulated by indulgence. The more 
we get, the more we want. 
Sarah A. Pleas. 
Vitality of Peony Pollen. 
Practical facts and information are 
not as plentiful as they should be in 
connection with flower growing, and 
we are, therefore, glad to know that 
Prof. A. P. Saunders has in his experi- 
ments demonstrated that Peony pollen 
under favorable conditions may be 
considered fairly long lived. Professor 
Saunders found no difficulty in keep- 
ing it through the entire Peony bloom- 
ing season, thus making it possible to 
cross the earliest varieties with the 
latest varieties. 
For proper storage Peony pollen is 
placed in small glass tubes carefully 
sealed and kept in a dark and cool 
room. Under these conditions it has 
been found to retain its vitality during 
the blooming season as stated. 
This information will prove interest- 
ing to those who are not acquainted 
with the longevity of Peony pollen and 
to those who are undertaking the hy- 
bridizing of Peonies for the first time. 
As before stated it is not often that 
such information is available. We 
have no doubt but what other infor- 
mation on the vitality of pollen from 
other flowers will be available in due 
time. 
Mrs. Pleas on Disbudding Peonies.. 
Talk to me of disbudding! It’s worse 
than sacrificing more than one-half the 
beauty ; it’s a sacrilege, and should be 
punished by disowning the florists who 
practice it— so, there ! If you practice 
the barbarous system, please, for me, 
next year, leave two plants of same 
kind, side by side, disbudding one and 
not the other and report to me just the 
difference in bloom. 
For my own use I would not disbud 
if it made them one-half larger. It is 
all right wh6n working for a prize to 
be able to show the abnormal mon- 
strocities, but I prefer the more grace- 
ful and the greater variety of sizes on 
one stem — the largest, the smallest 
and those intermingled with yellow 
stamens. I doubt if one person in a 
hundred if given choice of a single 
bloom or cluster at its best, would 
choose the one. All would choose the 
armful on one stem. I shall always 
preach the gospel of the natural clus- 
tered Peony. Rose and pink, why, the 
buds are fully as beautiful as the full 
blown flower. Why not have all and 
save time and expense and base selling 
price by the number of fullblown any 
way ? That was my practice and all 
were satisfied. Sarah A. Pleas. 
