Reverently I stand in this imperial presence. Instinctively I say. “How precious are 1'hy thoughts unt 9 me, 
O God; how great is the sum of them." All these radiant forms are the revelation of the love of the Father, inter¬ 
preters of His thoughts, prophets of our own resplendent future. 
My garden teaches this lesson. How much the Great Florist would do for His children if they would only give 
Him a chance. This was His opportunity and He took it. His oldest daughter, good mother nature, was on hand to 
work with me and evolve the plans of God. How much she would do for us if we would only help. What possibili¬ 
ties ali around us. Above us Divine ideals waiting for a chance to alight and glorify the earth. 
Come around to these rows. These plants are mine. I grew them from seed. See this lovely one with soft vel¬ 
vety petals of pink; see that one of purest white; look at that one robed in dazzling red with heart of gold. How happy 
and cheerful they look. They are mine. My eyes first saw them. * * * And back in the unknown are other 
masses of undiscovered loveliness waiting your beck and mine. Sometimes it seems as if they would break open the 
gates and flood us with a glory yet unseen. 
Who would live in desolation when he might live in fairyland, where Nature and all her unseen forces will work 
day and night to lavish on him her choicest treasures? Plant in masses. Match God’s great out-of-doors with abun¬ 
dance. Don’t be stingy when a little will bring so much. Open all the gates and let the waiting beauty of an earthly 
elysium settle around you. 
If you have only a small city lot, beautify that and give a kind Providence a chance to smile on you through the 
countenances of your flowers. 
THE PEONY BEAUTIFUL 
History and Development of This Wonderful and Magnificent Hardy Perennial, 
By Miss Jessie M. Good. 
With the exception of a few travelers, botanists, and amateur growers, all lovers of flowers, the only Peony known 
in America until about the middle of the nineteenth century was the old-fashioned double red one of our grandmothers’ 
gardens. Today, after years of exploitation, when Peonies are mentioned, nine-tenths of the public recall this one 
sort only with its rank odor. Recall it, too, with an inherited prejudice, for owing to its ease of culture it was a favor¬ 
ite flower about the peasant’s dooryards of Europe, and therefore the gentry called it coarse and common, admiration 
of which betrayed low taste. 
But within the last one hundred and fifty years new varieties were introduced that have caused a vast change in 
the attitude of the public towards the peony, and today it is accounted the most splendid flower in cultivation. 
There are three distinct varieties of Peonies: Peony Officinalis, the old-fashioned sort spoken of above, formerly 
grew wild over southern Europe, and to it we owe its name, for it is the Pa?ony of Greek and Latin literature, and 
was named for Paion, a physician of the Trojan war, who attributed his miraculous cures to his use of the 
Peony. Fable has it that Paeon, who was a pupil of Aesculapius, first received the Peony from Leto, the mother of 
Apollo. With this Peony Paeon cured the wounds Pluto received from Hercules; but the cure caused so much jeal¬ 
ousy on the part of Aesculapius that he secretly caused the death of Paeon. Pluto, however, grateful for his cure, turned 
the physician into the flower which has since borne his name. For him, too, physicians were often called “Paeonii.” 
The root was much used in medicine, and a piqce of it worn about the neck preserved the wearer from enchantments. 
But, ah, today the Peony is weaving enchantments of its own more enthralling than those of any Delphic priestess. 
It is strange that with the exception of P. Browni, the only Peony as yet found in America, that the P. Officinalis 
is found in southern Europe aione, while P. Moutan and P. Albiflora were found only in China and Siberia. However, 
the Officinalis Peonies of today are so improved in growth, form and color that they are esteemed most highly for their 
beauty and earlincss. There are the three beautiful colors, red, white and pink. 
Peony Moutan, or tree Peony, as we commonly call it, has a most interesting history, and to Mr. Eliot Coit, for¬ 
merly of the Horticultural Department of Cornell University, I am indebted for much of the material facts of this article, 
for possibly no man in America is so conversant with the history of the Peony in Europe and America as he. 
The facts are as follows: In 1656, by special permission and protection of the Chinese government, the Dutch East 
India Company sent an envoy through part of China. This envoy sent home the most glowing account of the Peony. 
IBs account is as follows: “In the province of Suchue, near to Chung King, grows a certain flower called Meutang 
(Moutan), in high esteem amongst them and therefore called ‘King of Flowers.’ It differs very little in quality from 
the European rose, but is much larger and spreads its leaves further abroad. It far surpasses the rose in beauty, but 
falls short in richness of scent. It has no thorns or prickles, is generally of a white color, mingled with a little purple; 
yet there are some that are yellow and red. This flower grows upon a bush and is carefully cherished and planted in 
all gardens belonging to the Grandees, for one of their most cherished flowers.” 
Nothing was done towards bringing this plant to Europe until one nundred and thirty-five years later, when an 
Englishman, Sir Joseph Banks, reading the volume on China written by the envoy, became interested and instructed 
certain merchants trading at Canton to have specimens of the “Moutang” sent to him. Repeated attempts were made 
to bring a living plant to England, but owing to lack of knowledge in packing, and the length of time it took sailing 
vessels to make the journey, it was not until 1791, four years later, that he was successful in getting alive from China 
two living tree Peonies. They proved all that the envoy,had declared them to be, and other importations quickly 
followed. 
In “Memoires des Chinois” by the Missionaries, Paris, 1S73, we are told that theMoutan, as we call it, had been 
the pride and glory of the Chinese for fourteeh hundred years. They had developed between two and three hundred 
varieties, which they valued as much as did the Dutch their tulips. The finest specimens were sent to the emperor’s 
garden, where it was prized for its great beauty and fragrance, for the Chinese florists had developed fragrance in the 
Moutan. We need not wonder at their enthusiasm, when we know that well grown specimens are in existence that are 
eight and nine feet high, bearing in a single season more than five hundred of their gigantic fragrant blooms. 
As long ago as 536 A. D, the Chinese distinguished two kinds of Peonies: The Sho Yo, or common kind that modern 
florists usually call Chinensis in catalogs, and the Mow Tan (Moutan), or tree Peony. The splendid tree Peony was 
called Hwa Wang, “King of Flowers,” and Sho Yos were called Hwa Seang, “King’s Prime Ministers.” 
Until about 600 A. D. the Peony was grown largely for its medicinal qualities, but about this date they were in¬ 
troduced as ornamental garden plants, and at once came into high favor. Soon after this a genealogical register was 
established by Gow Yang Sew, to record the qualities, parentage, and other characteristics of the kinds grown from 
seed; so that nearly twelve hundred years ago the Chinese had a register, while the American Peony society is only 
ten years old, and is still compiling theirs. With the new colors being offered each season, this register or check list 
promises to be a long-continued task. 
About 724 A. D. the Peony was introduced into Japan, where it at once attained high favor with that beauty- 
loving nation, a favor continued to this day. The Japanese call it Botan, and the root was largely grown for medi¬ 
cinal purposes, whole districts devoting themselves to its culture, while the country about Nara became famous for 
flowering plants, many selling as high as one hundred ounces of silver for a single plant. 
P. Albiflora has a history similar to that of Moutan, for its importation followed so closely that of the tree Peony 
that no exact record of its introduction is known. It is the Peony that is destined to become the most popular flower 
in the world, the rose excepted. Like the hybrid perpetual roses, all Peonies bloom but once each year, but unlike 
the rose they are almost free from diseases. In its wild state it was a native of Siberia, growing to its northernmost 
confines, single, semi-double and fragrant. 
Soon after its introduction to England its roots were taken to France, and there the real cultivation of the Peony 
began. Its habit of sporting into new colors, 4nd the freedom with which it seeds, were taken advantage of. Climate, 
soil, high feeding were all used to develop the plant, but cross-fertilization did more than all else to bring new varieties. 
The first Peonies from seed were raised and sold in France by M. Lemon, of Port St. Denis, in 1824. M. Jacques, 
gardener to King Louis Phillip, originated some of the first of the fine varieties. His collection was inherited by his 
nephew Victor Verdier. 
Other early French Peony enthusiasts was the Comte dc Cussy, the Prince de Salm-Dyck and Modeste Guerin. 
Also M. Buyck, a Belgian amateur. M. Calot of Douai inherited the collection of the Comte de Cussy, which in turn 
passed into the hands of M. Crousse of Nancy. Then later it came into the possession of its present owner, M. Lemoine. 
Other early Peony hybridists were M. Parmcntier, Mayor of Enghein, Belgium, and the following Frenchmen: 
Delache, Delacourt-Verhille, Donkelaer, Foulard, Gombault, Mechin, Micllez. Van Houtte. Some of our very best 
Peonies originated with these men. M. Dessert and M. Lemoine, of France, are today the leading originators of Peonies 
in the world. 
Kelway of England has enriched Peonies for all time by such superb sorts as Baroness Schroeder, James Kelway. 
Princess Beatrice, etc. 
4 
