Top: E. G. Hill (left) and 
J. M. Good judging a flower 
of Primevere. 
Center: A corner of our 
Peony fields; literalbj thou¬ 
sands of bloom. 
Bottom: “Awakening to 
the glories of June.” 
Mr. Auten of Missouri makes a good suggestion 
when he says, “There is one character on which I 
think there should he a rating outside of merely 
technical points. In declamation contests a rating 
is given on ‘General Effect’; in flowers I would 
give a rating on ‘Charm . For example, I do not 
know how, on technical points, Festiva could 
he counted anvj more than equal to Festiva 
Maxima if even equal to it; however, it makes an 
appeal to me that Festiva Maxima does not. The 
latter has size, form, color and carriage, all unsur¬ 
passable; hut to me it is cold and forbidding; it 
commands admiration, yes, hut when I see a fine 
opening hud of Festiva I want it. This has a charm 
for me, makes an appeal to me that Festiva Maxima 
does not.” Maij we add that there is certainhj a 
charm about some varieties of Peonies? In addition 
to Festiva, such varieties as Marie Stuart, Alsace- 
Lorraine, Monsieur Dupont and others possess an 
Cornell University he 
savjs in the introduction: 
“It is prohahlvj a con¬ 
servative statement to savj 
that the Peonvj interests 
of the country would he 
better off if about sev¬ 
enty-five per cent, of the 
varieties were destroyed 
and future propagation 
made from the remaining 
twenty-five per cent, of 
superior varieties.” As 
there are about two thousand varieties of Peonies, 
savj one thousand of them in commerce, to elim¬ 
inate seventy-five per cent of them would leave 
at least two hundred and fifty sorts as desirable. 
We are not pleading for a long list of Peonies, 
but we contend that the merits of the Peonies that 
should be perpetuated are not found in any one 
hundred varieties. 
SIX POINTS OF EXCELLENCE 
In judging a Peonvj for exhibition the six points 
of excellence as suggested by the Directors of the 
American Peonvj Societvj are as follows: 
Color.20 points. 
Size.20 
Stem (including length, strength and loliage) . 20 
Form.15 
Substance.15 
Fragrance.10 
Too 
The Good & Reese Company, Springfield, Ohio 
Page Three 
